Spizaetus ornatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The ornate hawk-eagle (Spizaetus ornatus) is a bird of prey from the tropical Americas. Formerly, some authorities referred to this species as the crested hawk-eagle, a name that may cause some confusion as it is more commonly used for an Asian eagle species. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. This species has a feathered tarsus that marks it as a member of the Aquilinae or booted eagle subfamily. This species is notable for the vivid colors and bold markings of adults, which differ considerably from the far more whitish plumage of the juvenile bird. The ornate hawk-eagle ranges from central Mexico south through much of Central America and in a somewhat spotty but broad overall range into South America, including in the west apart from the Andes and broadly on the Atlantic side especially Brazil down to as far as Southeast Brazil and northern Argentina. This species is found largely in primary forests with tall trees, although can be found in many forest types.
The ornate hawk-eagle female lays almost always a single egg and the species has a fairly prolonged breeding cycle like many tropical raptors, especially due to a lengthy post-fledging stage on which juveniles are dependent on their parents. It is a diversified and exceptionally powerful predator which takes a range of prey, usually various medium-to-large-sized birds and small-to-medium-sized mammals as well as occasional reptiles. Like many forest-dependent raptors, especially those in the tropical and subtropical regions, this species is likely under the pressing threat of deforestation. The decline of forest habitat in this species range, especially the Amazon rainforest, led the IUCN to uplist the ornate hawk-eagle as Near Threatened in 2016. Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belize Zoo | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 2 | São Paulo Zoo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Zoológico do CIGS | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Zoo Park da Montanha | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | GüiráOga | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 8 | Kung Fu Corals | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Parque Cóndor | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 10 | Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Wiwa Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 12 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ornate Hawk-Eagle sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 251st most-seen of the 288 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 an Ornate Hawk-Eagle in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ornate Hawk-Eagle sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
28th of 31
Of the 31 parks where we can rate Ornate Hawk-Eagle sightings, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve ranks 28th at under 5%. The best odds are in Darién National Park (Panama, about 10%), Volcán Barú National Park (Panama, about 10%) and Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 10%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Ornate Hawk-Eagle that you can see in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Roadside Hawk (about 20%) and Common Black-Hawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ornate Hawk-Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (14 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.
