Buteo platypterus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a medium-sized hawk of the genus Buteo. During the summer, some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the Neotropics from Mexico south to southern Brazil. Other subspecies are all-year residents on Caribbean islands. As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks' wings are relatively short and broad with a tapered, somewhat pointed appearance. The two types of coloration are a dark morph with fewer white areas and a light morph that is more pale overall. Although the broad-winged hawk's overall population is increasing, populations are declining in some parts of its breeding range because of forest fragmentation.
The broad-winged hawk is a relatively small Buteo species, with a body size from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and a weight 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz). The tail is relatively short, measuring 14.5–19.0 cm (5.7–7.5 in) in length. The tarsi measure from 5.6 to 6.6 cm (2.2 to 2.6 in). As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks have relatively... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 10 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Maine Wildlife Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Potter Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Carolina Raptor Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chouette à voir! | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Maymont Farm | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk sighting in Poás Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 151 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 97th most-seen of the 356 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–March, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk in Poás Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, April–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Broad-winged 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.
46th of 69
Of the 69 parks where we can rate Broad-winged Hawk sightings, Poás Volcano National Park ranks 46th at under 5%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 30%), Cahuita National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and Chagres National Park (Panama, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Broad-winged Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Poás Volcano National Park (151 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.
