Common Black Hawk Similar Species Comparison

Similar Species

Zone-tailed Hawk

Adult

Zone-tailed Hawks are slightly smaller than Common Black Hawks, with longer wings, less yellow on the face, and with the white tail band farther down the tail than on Common Black Hawks. In flight, Zone-tailed Hawks have longer, narrower wings than Common Black Hawks.

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Similar Species

Zone-tailed Hawk

Adult

In flight, Zone-tailed Hawks have longer, narrower wings and longer tails than Common Black Hawks. Zone-tailed Hawks resemble Turkey Vultures in their flight style, while Common Black Hawks are steadier in flight, with wings held level.

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Similar Species

Great Black Hawk

Adult

Great Black Hawks are larger than Common Black Hawks, with longer legs and tail. Great Black Hawks do not occur in the U.S., but the two species' ranges overlap in Mexico through northern South America. Voice is also a useful way to distinguish the two species.

Similar Species

Great Black Hawk

Immature

Immature Great Black Hawks closely resemble Common Black Hawks, but usually show a more finely barred tail, longer legs, and lack a dark stripe on the side of the throat.

Main Species

Common Black Hawk

Adult

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.

Juvenile

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.

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Juvenile

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.

Adult

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

Adult

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

Immature

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

Juvenile

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.

Juvenile

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).