Common Black Hawk Identification

Large hawk with very broad wings and short tail. Adults are overall black with a prominent white band in the tail and a white tail tip.

Large hawk with short tail and very broad wings. Juveniles are mottled brown and buff, with black wingtips and many narrow bands on the tail.

Large, long-legged hawk. Adults are sooty black with yellow bill and legs.

Note very broad wings, especially secondaries, and short tail. Juveniles are mottled brown and buff, and show pale panels in the outer wing, with dark wingtips.

When perched, note yellow base of bill and prominent white band in the tail and white tail tip.

Adults may appear dark grayish brown to black. Note long yellow legs and prominent tail bands.

Immatures retain some juvenile-like mottling and narrow tail bands, while acquiring adult black plumage. Note long yellow legs.

Juveniles can be strongly mottled with black; note narrow bands on tail and long yellow legs. The "Mangrove" subspecies group occurs in mangroves of Central and northern South America; it tends to be slimmer and smaller than other Common Black Hawks.

Large, broad-winged and long-legged hawk. Juveniles are a mix of brown and buff and usually show a strong face pattern with line through the eye and dark malar stripe continuing down sides of neck. Note white panels in the outer wing (visible in folded wing; prominent in flight).

Large dark hawk usually found near water in wooded habitats such as canyon bottoms, flooded forests, mangroves, and freshwater swamps and marshes.