No matter how high a bird flies, it has to come down for water.
An old bird proverb
White-tailed Kite
The Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks and Old World vultures. The Mangrove Black Hawk, traditionally considered a distinct species, is now generally considered a subspecies, subtilis, of the Common Black Hawk.
The Common Black Hawk feeds mainly on crabs, but will also take small vertebrates and eggs. This species is often seen soaring, with occasional lazy flaps, and has a talon-touching aerial courtship display.
Identification Tips:
• Length: 20 inches Wingspan: 48 inches
• Sexes similar
• Medium-sized hawk
• Broad rounded wings
• Hooked beak
• Short broad tail
Adult:
• Entirely dark plumage
• Yellow legs and cere
• Black tail with broad white band and thin white tip
• Small white base of primaries-not always visible
The Common Black Hawk is a breeding bird in the warmer parts of the Americas, from the southwestern U.S. through Central America to Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles.
The Common Black Hawk is a mainly coastal, resident bird of mangrove swamps, estuaries and adjacent dry open woodland, though there are inland populations, including a migratory population in northwestern Mexico and Arizona.
No matter how high a bird flies, it has to come down for water.
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Birds of prey do not flock together.
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