Gray hawk Asturina nitida

Identification Tips:

• Length: 15 inches Wingspan: 35 inches
• Sexes similar
• Small buteo
• Broad, rounded wings
• Hooked beak
• Short broad tail
• Yellow legs and cere

Adult:

• Gray upperparts
• Underparts barred gray and white
• Dark tail with two white bands, one wider than the other
• White uppertail coverts
• Pale underwings

Immature:

• Dark brown upperparts
• Underparts heavily streaked
• White supercilium contrasting with dark eyeline
• Dark malar streak
• Brown tail with numerous darker bands

Similar species:

Gray and white plumage of adult similar only to adult male Hook-billed Kite but kite has larger bill, more boldly marked primaries, and darker underwings. Immature Gray Hawk is similar to immature Broad-winged Hawk and immature accipiters but has white uppertail coverts, stronger face pattern, and more bands on the tail.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.