Buteo polyosoma
Silhouette: Lauren Anderson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The variable hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma) is a polymorphic species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is widespread and often common in open habitats in western and southern South America, including the Falkland Islands. Its taxonomy is disputed, with some splitting it into the widespread red-backed hawk (G. polyosoma) and the Puna hawk or Gurney's hawk (G. poecilochrous) of the central and north Andean highlands, but the differences between the two are unclear. Most recent authorities have supported the lumping together of the two hawks although the issue still is controversial. On the contrary, the rare taxon from the Juan Fernández Islands is relatively distinctive, and possibly worthy of species recognition as the Juan Fernández hawk (B. exsul). In this article and most current accounts, the three races are regarded as subspecies.
The name variable hawk is fully deserved, as both sexes occur in several morphs. Adults of all have a white tail with a contrasting black subterminal band and grey wings barred dark (in flight from below, the remiges appear whitish with fine barring and a broad black tip). The remaining plumage varies from very dark grey... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 3 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 5 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 8 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selwo Aventura | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Parque Zoologico Guátika | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | Amaru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Parque de las Leyendas | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Ecozoológico San Martín | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 7 | Zoologico Mundo Andino - Tipon | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 8 | Arequipa zoo | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 9 | Zoológico de Oruro | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 10 | Agroflori Parque de las Aves | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 11 | Gauntlet Birds of Prey | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 12 | Cotswold Falconry Center | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 13 | Donjon des aigles | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Fauconnerie du Puy du Fou | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Parque Cóndor | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 16 | Wiwa Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Hawk sighting in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, based on 130 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 54th most-seen of the 111 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Hawk in Nahuel Huapi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month. Those are among Nahuel Huapi National Park's wettest months, with about 290 mm of rain a month against 55 mm in February.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variable 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.
3rd of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Variable Hawk sightings, Nahuel Huapi National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, about 40%) and Lauca National Park (Chile, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Variable Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Nahuel Huapi National Park (130 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.
