Black-faced Hawk Leucopternis melanops Scientific name definitions

The Black-faced Hawk is a rather small, black and white hawk of northern South America. It is white below and on the head, with black wings, black eye patches, a black tail with a single white band near the base, and orange cere and legs. It closely resembles the White-browed Hawk (Leucopternis kuhli), but has less black streaking on the head and neck and white spots on the back. These two species were long thought to be allopatric, with Black-faced distributed north of the Amazon River and White-browed to the south. Recent evidence indicates that Black-faced also is present south of the Amazon River, in some areas apparently in sympatry with White-browed. Both species occur in the interior and edges of tall lowland forest. Like other Leucopternis hawks, it apparently feeds on reptiles, although very little information is available. The nest and breeding behavior of this species are undescribed.

35–43 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male 297–317 g, female 329–380 g (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); wingspan 65–78 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Head , upper back and neck white, streaked black ; wings and tail black, with wing coverts and scapulars boldly marked white; single narrow white band across middle of tail; underparts entirely white . Eye grey or tan, legs and cere yellow or orange yellow. Separated from similar congeners by tail pattern; from <em>L. kuhli</em> by head pattern. Female similar to male, but larger. Immature has only very faint dark streaking on head and neck; brownish margins to feathers of back and upperwing.

S & SE Venezuela, the Guianas and Amazonia N of R Amazon to E Colombia, E Ecuador and N Peru. Occurrence S of Amazon in Brazil and SE Peru (Madre de Dios) confirmed (5 Amaral, F.S.R., Silveira, L.F. and Whitney, B.M. (2007). New localities for the Black-faced Hawk (Leucopternis melanops) south of the Amazon river and description of the immature plumage of the White-browed Hawk (Leucopternis kuhli). Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 119(3): 450–454. Close , 6 Shrum, P.L., Bowerman, W.W., Garcia, D. and Amable, R. (2011). More records of sympatry of Black-faced Hawk (Leucopternis melanops) and White-browed Hawk (L. kuhli) in Madre de Dios, Peru. Journal of Raptor Research. 45(1): 104–105. Close ), but still poorly known.

Lowland rain forest ; may favour dense vegetation along rivers and mangroves. Not known to soar above forest.

Very few data available, but probably reptiles to a greater or lesser extent. One bird observed eating snake on ground, having first removed head; another record of a lizard as prey; also seen preying on nestling dove. Stomach contents of two adult females collected in Peru included a snake, orthopterans, and unidentified insects (7 Brooks, D. M., J. P. O’Neill, M. S. Foster, T. Mark, N. Dauphiné, and I. J. Franke (2009). Avifauna of the Pongos Basin, Amazonas Department, Peru. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 121(1):54–74. Close ).

Call is a high-pitched, piercing, down-slurred whistle keeeuuuu , typically given a few times with intervals.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Status very poorly known; no global population estimate, but species suspected to be declining owing to deforestation. Apparently rare throughout, but very secretive and often overlooked; most of forest in extensive range persists, so probably not a species of immediate concern.