Spizaetus melanoleucus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 La Amistad International Park (Panama) on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 617th most-seen of the 657 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 Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle in La Amistad International Park (Panama) 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 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, La Amistad International Park (Panama) ranks 15th 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%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in La Amistad International Park (Panama) (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.
