Spizaetus melanoleucus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The black-and-white hawk-eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus) is a bird of prey species in the eagle and hawk family (Accipitridae). It is found throughout a large part of tropical America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.
As its name suggests, this is a black and white eagle, resembling the small typical eagles sometimes separated in "Hieraaetus". It is some 20–24 in (51–61 cm) long overall and weighs about 30 oz (850 g). The head, neck and body are white; a small crest forms a black spot on top of the head, and the area around the eyes, particularly towards the bill, is also black. The wings are black with a noticeable white leading edge, and the bird has a brownish tail barred black-dark grey and with white tip. The iris is orange in adults and greyish in juveniles, the feet pale to bright yellow with black talons. The bill is black with a yellow cere.
The sexes are alike in color, but the female is larger. Immature birds have pale edges on the upper wing coverts and some brownish-grey feathers on the back. The black-and-white hawk-eagle is hard to confuse with any other bird in its range with the exception of juvenile Grey-headed Kites. These birds are known... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 8 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 9 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 12 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 13 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 14 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 15 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 16 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque das Aves | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | GüiráOga | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle sighting in Darién National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 318th most-seen of the 397 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle in Darién National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 16 parks where we can rate Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle sightings, Darién National Park ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Henri Pittier National Park (Venezuela, under 5%), Manu National Park (Peru, under 5%) and Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, under 5%).
Same genus: Spizaetus
The closest relatives of the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle that you can see in Darién National Park (genus Spizaetus, Neotropical Hawk-Eagles) are Ornate Hawk-Eagle (about 10%) and Black Hawk-Eagle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Darién National Park (15 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.
