Bird
Bird
Gray Hawk
Buteo plagiatus
The Gray Hawk is a slender, pale grey raptor of forest edge and gallery woodland, less commonly encountered in Trinidad than the ubiquitous Roadside Hawk but distinctive once seen, with a boldly banded tail and buoyant, agile flight.
The Gray Hawk is a slender, pale grey raptor of forest edge and gallery woodland, less commonly encountered in Trinidad than the ubiquitous Roadside Hawk but distinctive once seen, with a boldly banded tail and buoyant, agile flight.
Identification
A medium-sized hawk around 43 to 48 cm long, with pale grey upperparts and finely barred grey underparts, a whitish rump, and a black tail crossed by two or three broad white bands. Juveniles are brown above and streaked below, quite different from the grey adult plumage. In flight the wings appear broad and rounded, with a light, agile flight style compared to bulkier buteos.
Behaviour
Hunts from perches at forest edge, gallery woodland, and semi-open country along waterways, taking lizards, small snakes, large insects, and occasionally small birds and mammals. It is more closely tied to wooded habitat with a mix of open hunting ground than fully open country, often favouring forest edges near rivers and clearings. Pairs build a stick nest in a tall tree and can be quite vocal near the nest site.
Status in T&T
Present in forest edge and semi-open woodland in Trinidad, generally in lower numbers than the widespread Roadside Hawk. Not considered threatened, though dependent on a mix of wooded and open habitat for hunting. It is protected as native wildlife under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
