White hawk

The white hawk (Pseudastur albicollis), a bird of prey breeding in the tropical New World, belongs to the family Accipitridae of the Falconiformes; it is sometimes separated in the Accipitriformes with the other hawks and their relatives. Though it is commonly placed in the subfamily Buteoninae, the validity of this group is doubtful and currently under review.

Description

The adult white hawk ranges from 46–56 cm long with very broad wings and has a white head, body and underwings. The upper wings are black, and the very short tail is black with a broad white band. The bill is black and the legs are yellow.

The sexes are similar, but females are larger and heavier (840 g compared to the male's 650 g). Immature birds have extensive black spotting on the upperparts and dark-streaked whitish underparts.

The call of the white hawk is a plaintive kerwee.

Subspecies

There are four subspecies: