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🦅 Common Black Hawk (*Buteogallus anthracinus*)

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Updated
ByZusi Agenti

Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) is one of the animal species documented at Yuyo in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica.

🔤 Name English / nombre español / Name Deutsch

Common Black Hawk / Gavilán cangrejero / Krabbenbussard

🔬 Taxonomy & conservation

Family

Accipitridae — hawks & eagles

IUCN status

LC — Least Concern

ⓘ What does this mean?

About the IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List assesses the global risk of extinction of species using criteria such as population size and trends, geographic range, and the degree of population decline. The category shown here describes conservation status — it does not indicate whether an animal is dangerous to humans.

EX Extinct · EW Extinct in the Wild · CR Critically Endangered · EN Endangered · VU Vulnerable · NT Near Threatened · LC Least Concern · DD Data Deficient · NE Not Evaluated

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

🌿 Habitat & Ecology

Local distribution & habitat

The species breeds through Central America, which includes Costa Rica.

GBIF occurrence evidence around Yuyo

Costa Rica: 49874 GBIF records
Within 5 km: 930 records
Within 10 km: 2373 records
Within 25 km: 3781 records
Within 50 km: 4389 records
Nearest GBIF record: 0.28 km away · human observation

Photo from Yuyo
Immature Common Black Hawk photographed on 22 December 2023, perched among dense green tropical vegetation with dark brown plumage, buff mottling on the head and breast, and yellow-orange legs.
Immature Common Black Hawk photographed on 22 December 2023, perched among dense green tropical vegetation with dark brown plumage, buff mottling on the head and breast, and yellow-orange legs.
Diet & ecological role

Feeds mainly on crabs, especially land crabs, and crayfish; it also eats fish, frogs, turtle hatchlings, lizards, snakes, small young or injured birds and mammals, dead fish, eggs, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and wasp larvae.

Behavior

Builds and often reuses platform nests of sticks in trees, frequently mangroves, laying one to three eggs. It soars with occasional lazy flaps and performs a talon-touching aerial courtship display.

⚠️ Risk & safety

Risk Level

None

📍📈 Local frequency

single

📖✨ Stories

Stefan K.: This is believed to be a Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus). The same photograph was previously submitted to the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica (AOCR), and the bird was identified as Buteogallus anthracinus. The original correspondence is no longer available. The photo is from 22.12.2023.

🎬 Related videos

Will be added if we are lucky enough to film an encounter.

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