Chaco Eagle

Chaco Eagle

Harpyhaliaetus coronatus

Silhouette: Lauren Anderson · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Itatiaia National Park

In 3 days <5%

5 Verified sightings at Itatiaia National Park From 2019 to 2026
47 In all 5 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Chaco Eagle

The Chaco eagle (Buteogallus coronatus) or crowned solitary eagle, is an endangered bird of prey from eastern and central South America. Typically it is known simply as the crowned eagle, which leads to potential confusion with the African Stephanoaetus coronatus. Due to its rarity, not much is known about its biology or population.

The Chaco eagle is a large raptor with a mostly dull and silvery grey body plumage. Its short black tail has a broad white medial band as well as a white tip and both its cere and legs are yellow. As its name indicates, the Crowned Solitary Eagle has a crest of darker grey feathers. The juvenile also has a crest but its colour dark brown, except for it creamy head and underbody which are both have grey streaks. It is one of the largest raptors in the Neotropics and normally weighs around 2.95 kg (6.5 lb). Its total length can reach 73–79 cm (29–31 in) and it has a wingspan of 170–183 cm (5 ft 7 in – 6 ft 0 in).

Buteogallus coronatus is monotypic, with no subspecies. Vieillot first named it Harpyia coronata in 1817. It was subsequently reclassified by Lafresnaye in 1842 in the genus Harpyphaliatus, as Harpyhaliatus coronatus... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:09

Brazil · 2022

© Non_Praying_Mantis · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Recording0:05

Brazil · 2026

© Jhonatan Manco · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:24

Argentina · 2023

© Jose Luis Navarro · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
2 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
3 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
4 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Curitiba Zoo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
2 Aqualife 🇦🇷 Argentina In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Chaco Eagle in Itatiaia National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chaco Eagle sighting in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 343rd most-seen of the 352 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Chaco Eagle in Itatiaia National Park?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chaco Eagle in Itatiaia National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Chaco Eagle?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chaco 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.

Which relatives of the Chaco Eagle live in Itatiaia National Park?

Same family: Accipitridae

The closest relatives of the Chaco Eagle that you can see in Itatiaia National Park (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Roadside Hawk (about 20%), Black Hawk-Eagle (about 10%) and White-tailed Hawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Chaco Eagle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Chaco Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Itatiaia National Park (5 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.

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