[order] ACCIPITRIFORMES | [family] Accipitridae | [latin] Buteo leucorrhous | [authority] Quoy and Gaimard, 1824 | [UK] White-rumped Hawk | [FR] Buse cul-blanc | [DE] Weissburzel-Bussard | [ES] Busardo culiblanco | [NL] Witstuitbuizerd
Subspecies
| Genus | Species | subspecies | Region | Range |
| Buteo | leucorrhous | SA | Venezuela to nw Bolivia, se |
Genus
Members of the genus Buteo are broad-winged, broad-tailed hawks, Well adapted for soaring. The bill, legs and talons are of average proportions. There is much colour variation both within the species, and, by way of phases, within individual species. In all cases the young are quite different from adults in that they are all well camouflaged with an overall brown appearance with varying amounts of striping below and paler mottling above.
The 25 species are spread worldwide with the exception of Australasia and much of the Indian sub-continent.
Physical charateristics
As indicated by its common name, the most distinguishing characteristic of the White-rumped Hawk is its obvious white rump and under tail coverts, which contrast strongly with its all black chest, head, wings and back. When seen from below, the white-checkered underwing coverts and fairly long banded tail are conspicuous.
Listen to the sound of White-rumped Hawk
[audio:https://planetofbirds.com/MASTER/ACCIPITRIFORMES/Accipitridae/sounds/White-rumped Hawk.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
| wingspan min.: | 0 | cm | wingspan max.: | 0 | cm |
| size min.: | 33 | cm | size max.: | 38 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 0 | days | incubation max.: | 0 | days |
| fledging min.: | 0 | days | fledging max.: | 0 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 2 | ||
| eggs max.: | 3 |
Range
South America : Venezuela to Northwest Bolivia, Southeast. Apparently disjunct distribution: mountains of Venezuela and Colombia through Ecuador and Peru to NW Bolivia; Paraguay, S Brazil and N Argentina.
Habitat
Mostly middle elevations and lower montane areas. Humid forest and forest edges, especially near clearings and broken forest on hillsides. Soars frequently over forest, singly or in pairs, especially in the morning, and may perch on exposed branches in canopy or lower
Reproduction
Little information. A Colombian nest active in February-March was found, clutch size is 2-3 eggs.
Feeding habits
There are very few observations of active foraging and so there is very little information on its diet, though it is known to take reptiles, frogs, insects and rats.
Conservation
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Migration
Irruptive or local migrant
Distribution map
