Common Black Hawks are successful predatory birds. 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 and cere are yellow.
The Common Black Hawk feeds mainly on crabs, but will also take small vertebrates and eggs. They often perch for long periods on a branch over water, waiting for their prey to appear. The adult Common Black Hawk is 43-53 cm long and weighs 930g on average. Lifespan of a common black hawk is around 24 years.
It 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. No detailed information is available on pair bonding, territoriality, or most other aspects of this species’ social behavior. The pair often fly together, with their wings fluttering and held at a strong dihedral angle. Loud and hoarse whistles, sounding like those of the Night-Heron are common during nesting season.
The male may sweep down and land directly on the female, or he may perch beside her for a time before mounting. Copulation occurs about 15 to 90 meters from the nest on a branch or rock. Up to four copulations per day occur as the egg laying period approaches. It lays one to three eggs (usually one), which are whitish with brown markings. Incubation lasts for 38 to 39 days. Fledging period is between 43 to 50 days, and post-fledging dependence of the juvenile on the adult lasts 6 to 8 weeks.
The current conservation rating of the Common Black-Hawk is Least Concern. It is found in parts of the Americas, from the Southwestern United States through Central America to Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles. Generally these birds inhabit lowland areas, with a source of water nearby. In Guatemala it can be found around the caribbean coasts.
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