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Buteo galapagoensis
Probably one of the rarest Hawk, with less than a thousand in numbers. Similar in size to the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) of North America, but the size is variable across the islands as is recorded for many animals native to the Galapagos. The Galapagos hawk can range from 45 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in) in length from beak to tail with a wingspan of 116 to 140 cm (46 to 55 in). The adult hawk has various colouring within the species. The adult Galapagos hawk is generally a sooty brownish black colour; the crown being slightly blacker than the back. Its feathers of the mantle are partially edged with paler brown, grey, or buff, with their white bases showing to some extent. Their tail coverts are also barred with white.The tail itself is silvery grey above, with about ten narrow black bars; below it is quite pale. The wing feathers are paler on inner webs, barred with white.
Endemic to the islands of Galapagos.
Spotted on May 5, 2012
Submitted on Nov 30, 2015
2 Comments
Thanks, @CDFG for the info.
This picture was taken during my live aboard dive trip, based on the date of the pictures, it was around Santiago Island.
Great shot! Where on G. did you get it? - Note that the variety in size is mainly due to the fact that females are considerably larger than males.