Harpagus bidentatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The double-toothed kite (Harpagus bidentatus) is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Accipitrinae, the "true" hawks, of family Accipitridae. It is found from central Mexico through Central America into much of northern and eastern South America.
Despite its English name, the double-toothed kite is not closely related to most other kites but to the "true" hawks. It shares its genus with the rufous-thighed kite (H. didion). The double-toothed kite is 29 to 35 cm (11 to 14 in) long with a wingspan of 60 to 72 cm (24 to 28 in). Males weigh about 160 to 200 g (5.6 to 7.1 oz) and females about 190 to 230 g (6.7 to 8.1 oz). The species gets its English name from the tooth-like notches on the edge of its maxilla. Males and females have similar plumage though the females' colors are richer. Adults of both subspecies have a dark gray head with a white throat that has a dark stripe down its center. Their upperparts are a somewhat lighter gray and their tail blackish with three grayish bands and a gray tip. Their eyes are red, their cere greenish yellow, and their legs and... Wikipedia →
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Double-toothed Kite sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 177th most-seen of the 277 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Double-toothed Kite in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October–January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Double-toothed Kite sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
19th of 45
Of the 45 parks where we can rate Double-toothed Kite sightings, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 19th at under 5%. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 20%), San Lorenzo Protected Forest (Panama, about 10%) and Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 10%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Double-toothed Kite that you can see in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Roadside Hawk (about 20%), White Hawk (about 10%) and Gray-lined Hawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Double-toothed Kite is recorded against all the birds logged in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (58 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.
