Buteogallus meridionalis
The Savanna Hawk, *Buteogallus meridionalis*, is a strikingly handsome, medium-sized raptor widely distributed across open landscapes of Central and South America. Adults are predominantly rich rufous (reddish-brown) with fine black barring on the underparts, a pale head and neck, and dark flight feathers contrasting with the lighter body. A distinctive black tail with a single broad white band (sometimes two narrower ones) and long, bare yellow legs are key identification features, along wit...
Found primarily in open savannas, grasslands, pastures, and agricultural areas, often near water, at low to moderate elevations.
Primarily preys on large insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, as well as reptiles (lizards, snakes), small mammals (rodents), and amphibians, often hunted on the ground.
Savanna Hawks are diurnal raptors, frequently observed perched conspicuously on trees, fence posts, or utility poles, surveying their surroundings. Their primary foraging strategy involves either swooping down from a perch or, uniquely among many raptors, walking and running on the ground to chas...
The Savanna Hawk is a resident species, not undertaking significant migratory movements, distributed across a vast Neotropical range. Its breeding and year-round distribution extends from central Panama, through Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). Southward, it...
Least Concern
- The Savanna Hawk is one of the few raptors that routinely hunts by walking and running on the ground, using its long legs to advantage. - Its bare yellow lores (the area between the eye and the beak) are a distinctive field mark, providing a striking contrast to its rufous plumage. - Despite it...