Spizaetus tyrannus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The black hawk-eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus), also known as the tyrant hawk-eagle, is a species of eagle found from central Mexico through Central America into the south of Brazil to Colombia, eastern Peru, and as far as northern Argentina. There are two known subspecies, S.t. tyrannus, which is found in Southeastern Brazil and Northeastern Argentina, and the slightly smaller S. t. serus, which can be found elsewhere throughout the species' range. Its preferred habitats include humid and moist forests close to rivers, and several types of woodland. It is uncommon to fairly common throughout most of its range. Its closest relative is the ornate hawk-eagle, which is similar in size, appearance and behavior but lives at lower elevations.
The black hawk-eagle is 58–70 cm (23–27.5 in) long and weighs about 900 to 1,300 grams (2.0 to 2.9 pounds). It has black plumage with varying patterns on its wings and body, and white speckling in places. It has barred wings, slightly elliptical in shape, and a long, narrow tail which is rarely fanned. The four grey bars on the tail are distinctive to the black hawk-eagle, as is the white line seen slightly above the bird's eye. While flying... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Valencia | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 4 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 6 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque das Aves | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | São Paulo Zoo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Ukumarí Biopark | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Parque dos Falcões | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Hawk-Eagle sighting in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park on a given day, based on 182 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 275th most-seen of the 467 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Hawk-Eagle in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park's wettest months, with about 570 mm of rain against 160 mm in February.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black 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.
26th of 46
Of the 46 parks where we can rate Black Hawk-Eagle sightings, Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park ranks 26th at under 5%. The best odds are in Chagres National Park (Panama, about 10%), Darién National Park (Panama, about 10%) and Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Hawk-Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (182 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.
