Buteo platypterus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a medium-sized hawk of the genus Buteo. During the summer, some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the Neotropics from Mexico south to southern Brazil. Other subspecies are all-year residents on Caribbean islands. As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks' wings are relatively short and broad with a tapered, somewhat pointed appearance. The two types of coloration are a dark morph with fewer white areas and a light morph that is more pale overall. Although the broad-winged hawk's overall population is increasing, populations are declining in some parts of its breeding range because of forest fragmentation.
The broad-winged hawk is a relatively small Buteo species, with a body size from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and a weight 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz). The tail is relatively short, measuring 14.5–19.0 cm (5.7–7.5 in) in length. The tarsi measure from 5.6 to 6.6 cm (2.2 to 2.6 in). As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks have relatively... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 10 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Maine Wildlife Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Potter Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Carolina Raptor Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chouette à voir! | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Maymont Farm | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 226th most-seen of the 270 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk in Big Bend National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Broad-winged Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
67th of 69
Of the 69 parks where we can rate Broad-winged Hawk sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 67th at under 5%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 30%), Cahuita National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and Chagres National Park (Panama, about 20%).
Same genus: Buteo
The closest relatives of the Broad-winged Hawk that you can see in Big Bend National Park (genus Buteo, Buteos) are Red-tailed Hawk (about 20%), Gray-lined Hawk (about 20%) and Zone-tailed Hawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Broad-winged Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Big Bend National Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
