The black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus) is a slender; “pinched in” at the base, short, round, and very broad winged; long tailed bird found from C Mexico to W Ecuador, Bolivia, NE Argentina and SE Brazil. Feeds mostly of small mammals like squirrels, large lizards and snakes and birds up to the size of toucans.

68cm (27”), 1kg. Black, with fully feathered legs. Feathers on the bushy occipital crest with white bases; remiges below gray banded with black; tail black with three white bands and its coverts are barred with white; legs and wing-linings also barred with white. Iris and feet yellow; cere blackish. Young: head and breasts white; dusky strikes and brown wash on chest and sides of breasts; back underparts barred with black and white; dark bands on flight feathers below finer than on adult. Takes 2-3 years to full adult plumage.

The Black-and-white Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus) is a buteo-like proportioned bird, 58cm (23”), 850g, but with fully feathered legs. You can find it from S México to NE Argentina and SE Brazil in forested country, at breaks and edges. Sometimes over adjacent open lands.
White head, neck, underparts and wing-linings; with black orbital area, lore and short occipital crest. Below pale gray remiges (barred and tipped with black) and tail (with 4 black bands, narrow except the outermost). Yellow iris and feet; ceer orange. Immatures: Similar but above browner mixed with gray; white scaling on wings coverts. More, narrower and browner tail-bands.

The Ornate Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus ornatus) dwells from E Mexico to W Ecuador, NE Argentina, and SE Brazil.

63cm (25”), 1.2kg. Legs fully feathered. Crown and long spiky crest black. Head, sides of neck and sides of breast rufous, appart from white throat and chest by black stripe. Underparts, wing-linings and legs white boldly barred with black. Above brownish black; remiges below pale gray, barred with black; tail below pale gray crossed by four black bands. Iris tawny-orange or yellow; cere greenish-yellow; feet yellow. Young: Head and neck white with dusky streaking. Short dusky crest. Above gray-brown barred with black; below black barring less extensive than adult; tail with 5-11 dark bands. 2-3 year to acquire adult plumage.

The Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus) dwells from S Mexico to W Ecuador, Bolivia and SE Brazil. It has a black median stripe on white throat. When looking closely, you can see 2 horny “teeth” on tomium.

33cm (13”), 180g. above gray, below barred with gray and white; rufous barring on sides of chest (male) or solid rufous chest (female); crissum thigh feathers; white and fluffy flanks; tail banded with gray and black. Iris orange; cere and legs yellow. Immature: Above brown flecked with buff; below white streaked with blackish-brown.

The Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) has a distinct facial disk. It breeds from Alaska and N Canada to Baja California and S USA. Winters to extreme N South America and West Indies. Widely spread in Old World.

53cm (21”), 450g. ♂: head and upperparts light gray; below White, dotted with cinnamon; tail gray, barred with brown. Bill blackish with bluish base; iris, cere and legs yellow. ♀: Superciliaries, throat and cheek-patch white; head, neck and underparts streaked with buff and dark brown; tail light brown barred with blackish. Iris brownish; cere pale greenish; legs pale yellow. Young: like female but below rufous with little streaking; white areas of face and rump tinged with buff.