Roadside Hawk

Basic Description

The Roadside Hawk is a bird that grabs your attention, with loud, persistent calls; piercing yellow eyes; and brilliant orange wing patches in flight. Adults vary considerably in appearance, with head color ranging from light gray to dark brown, but all have rufous-and-white barring on the belly and wide black bars on the tail. One of the most common and widespread hawks in the Neotropics, this species is more frequently found perched along roads and forest edges than seen soaring. It preys mainly on insects and small vertebrates.