Solitary Eagle Buteogallus solitarius Scientific name definitions

Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus solitarius) is a very large Neotropical buteonine of forested foothills and mountains. It is rare and local, being found primarily in humid and dry montane forests of Middle and northern and western South America, but there are lowland records from hilly areas (e.g., Cerro Azul, in the Panama Canal zone; the North Atlantic lowlands of Nicaragua; Deep River Forest Reserve in lowland Belize). The species is usually seen soaring in the distance, where its large size, long, broad wings, and short tail are the most distinctive features. In all plumages, Solitary Eagle is similar to the much commoner Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus), which is smaller, with a tail that appears longer. Many alleged sight and even photo records of Solitary Eagle have involved Common Black Hawks, and, despite its different shape, the Great Black Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga) (1 Clark, W. S., J. Clinton-Eitniear, and R. A. Phillips (2020). Record of an alleged Solitary Eagle in Oaxaca is a Great Black Hawk. Acta Zoologica Mexicana (Nueva Serie) 36:1–6. Close ). Solitary Eagle is a snake specialist as it has been observed preying primarily on snakes.