Roadside Hawk Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRoadside Hawk
Adult (Northern)
A small raptor found at forest edges across much of the tropical Americas. Adult has light iris, yellow cere (facial skin), orange-yellow legs, and rufous-and-white barring on the belly and below; other plumage details vary considerably across range. Some “Northern” adults, like this individual, have a light gray head and breast.
© Bradley Hacker 🦜 / Macaulay LibraryCoclé, December 23, 2014Adult (Northern)
All adults show large, distinctive rufous wing patches in flight. Adult tail color varies from rufous to gray, with 4–5 broad black bands. The “Northern” subspecies group ranges from Mexico to the southern Amazon.
© Cory Gregory / Macaulay LibraryPuntarenas, January 11, 2018Adult (Northern)
A small hawk of forest edges and other open habitats. Adult plumage varies considerably. Some “Northern” adults have brownish-gray upperparts and head, coarse streaking on the breast, and rufous barring below. All adults have a pale eye, yellow cere, bright rufous wing patches (more obvious in flight), and broad black bands on the tail.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibrarySan José, December 01, 2007Not all videos have sound
Adult (Southern)
The “Southern” subspecies group occurs south of the Amazon, from northeastern Brazil to northern Argentina. Many “Southern” adults have dark brown upperparts, a nearly black head, and rusty underparts (streaked on the breast, barred below).
© Luis Fernandez / Macaulay LibraryJujuy, May 14, 2016Juvenile (Northern)
Immature has white or buffy underparts, with coarse brownish streaking on the breast and barring on the belly. Many immatures also have a prominent white line above the eye.
© John van Dort / Macaulay LibraryCholuteca, September 17, 2016Adult (Southern)
“Southern” adult often has a dark brown head, brown upperparts, and cinnamon underparts with fine barring on the belly.
© Pieter de Groot Boersma / Macaulay LibraryMato Grosso, July 27, 2017Not all videos have sound
Adult (Northern)
In flight, note short, rounded wings; fairly long tail (usually kept closed); and, in adult, large rufous wing patches.
© David Monroy Rengifo / Macaulay LibraryRisaralda, March 15, 2019Juvenile (Northern)
Often seen perched on wires, fence posts, and telephone poles alongside roads. Juvenile “Northern” has upper tail pattern similar to adult, but with gray bands alternating with black.
© Oliver Komar / Macaulay LibraryFrancisco Morazán, July 31, 2016Juvenile (Southern)
Juvenile “Southern” has light stripe above the eye, buffy streaking on the neck, and whitish underparts with brownish streaking and barring.
© Juan Sanabria / Macaulay LibraryMato Grosso do Sul, November 01, 2018Not all videos have sound
Juvenile (Southern)
Juvenile “Southern” has light stripe above the eye, buffy streaking on the neck, and whitish underparts with brownish streaking on the breast and barring below.
© Ezequiel Vera / Macaulay LibraryBuenos Aires, August 06, 2016Immature (Northern)
Immature “Northern” can have little or no rufous patch in the wings. Note short, rounded wings and fairly long, barred tail.
© John Garrett / Macaulay LibraryVeracruz, October 24, 2016Adult (Northern)
A very vocal hawk. Both sexes give long series of nasal calls, somewhat reminiscent of a woodpecker. Note the large rufous wing patches when the bird opens its wings.
© Paul Molina A / Macaulay LibraryAzuay, November 01, 2021Not all videos have sound
Adult (Southern)
In some “Southern” populations, adult has a dark head, rich brown upperparts, and a reddish tail with black bands.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibrarySanta Cruz, August 14, 2013Adult (Northern)
Often perches close to the ground, in search of insects, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and other prey.
© John Doty / Macaulay LibraryPuntarenas, March 15, 2015Similar SpeciesGray Hawk
Adult
Adult Gray Hawk is completely gray and white, lacking the rufous belly barring found in all adult Roadside Hawks (and also lacking the brown colors and chest streaking found in many Roadside Hawks).
© Simon Kiacz / Macaulay LibraryTexas, December 24, 2020Similar SpeciesGray Hawk
Juvenile
Juvenile Gray Hawk lacks the belly barring seen on juvenile Roadside Hawk.
© Juan D Astorga / Macaulay LibraryGuanacaste, June 11, 2017Similar SpeciesGray-lined Hawk
Adult
Adult Gray-lined Hawk’s underparts are completely barred gray-and-white, and the wings are also barred.
© Guillermo Saborío Vega / Macaulay LibraryPuntarenas, July 27, 2019Similar SpeciesGray-lined Hawk
Juvenile
Juvenile Gray-lined Hawk lacks juvenile Roadside Hawk’s barring on the belly.
© Holger Teichmann / Macaulay LibraryAmazonas, February 11, 2024Similar SpeciesBroad-winged Hawk
Adult
Adult Broad-winged Hawk is browner on the head and upperparts than adult “Northern” Roadside Hawk (the subspecies group that it overlaps with). Adult Broad-winged has a dark eye, heavy smudging on the breast, and very coarse barring below.
© Jhon Velasquez / Macaulay LibraryMeta, January 17, 2023Similar SpeciesBroad-winged Hawk
Juvenile
Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk lacks juvenile Roadside Hawk’s barring on the belly.
© Jorge Muñoz García CAQUETA BIRDING / Macaulay LibraryMeta, November 15, 2015Similar SpeciesBroad-winged Hawk
Adult
In flight, adult Broad-winged Hawk lacks Roadside Hawk’s large rufous wing patches and has a tail pattern of thick black bands and thinner white bands.
© David Brown / Macaulay LibraryPennsylvania, September 20, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites(Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae)
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