Wildlife Guatemala – 9 Mysteries of Black Hawks Revealed

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Common Black Hawks are successful predatory birds with a mysterious touch. In Guatemala it can be found around the Caribbean coasts. Here is some information about them.

1. The Common Black Hawk feeds mainly on crabs, but also eats small vertebrates and eggs. They often perch for long periods on a branch over water, waiting for their prey to appear.

2. It has very broad wings, and is mainly black or dark gray. The short tail is black with a single broad white band and a white tip. The bill is black and the legs are yellow.

3. The adult Common Black Hawk is 43-53 cm long and weighs 930g on average.

4. These carnivorous birds builds a platform nest of sticks fifteen to one hundred feet above the ground in a tree, often a mangrove. Nests are often reused and tend to grow bigger.

5. Females lay one to three eggs, which are whitish with brown markings. Incubation lasts for 38 to 39 days. Fledgling period is between 43 to 50 days, and post-fledging dependence 6 to 8 weeks.

6. They have been known for living up to 24 years.

7. The current conservation rating of the Common Black-Hawk is Least Concern because of its wide range.

8. There isn’t detailed information available on pair bonding, territoriality, or other aspects of this species’ social behavior.

9. They inhabit from the Southwestern United States through Central America to Venezuela, Peru. Generally these birds are found lowland areas, with a source of water nearby.