Fun Common Black Hawk Facts For Kids

Ever heard of the avenger Hawkeye? If you have, you might know how good of an archer he is. And what do you think makes him an exceptional archer?

The answer is his extraordinary vision. He gets this name because of his ability to shoot right in the bull's eye just like the common black hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus).

Yes, these aerial animals are raptors by nature and possess vision three times more powerful than that of us humans. Relatives to old-world vultures and eagles, the common black hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) is an efficient yet ruthless predator of the avian family.

The common black hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) is a member of a family of birds with hooked bills named Accipitridae.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about the Buteogallus anthracinus (common black hawk) for your reading. Afterward, do check our other articles on white hawk and gray hawk facts as well.

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Common Black Hawk Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a common black hawk?

A common black hawk is a bird. It is an aerial being and more specifically a predatory ave with a large wingspan for efficient flight. It is an oviparous being, that is it lays eggs and has a small yet strong hooked beak that aids in catching prey.

What class of animal does a common black hawk belong to?

A common black hawk is an Ave, which is a bird, belonging to phylum Chordata of kingdom Animalia. More specifically it belongs to the family Accipitridae of order Accipitriformes. This order consists of diurnal birds which include hawks, eagles, and kites.

How many common black hawks are there in the world?

A common black hawk bird has an increasing population and is present in good numbers across the globe. Their current population count gives us a number of 2,000,000 mature common black hawk birds present across the globe.

Where does a common black hawk live?

A common black hawk is spotted throughout North America, Central America, and South America. Here they may be found in Countries like Venezuela, Peru, and Mexico to name some. It prefers warmer regions to live and breed.

What is a common black hawk's habitat?

Native to the American continent, these birds dwell in the coastal regions including marshy swamps and dry open woodland areas, and sometimes maybe spotted sitting and relaxing on the grounds. They are also spotted in the inland residential areas but in low numbers.

This gives us an idea that they are migratory Aves spread across North America, Central America, and South America.

Who do common black hawks live with?

You may spot the Buteogallus anthracinus living in solitary but during breeding season they may be spotted in pairs. Sometimes a few black hawk birds may gather in the locations where the food is in abundance but these raptors are almost never spotted in large flocks.

How long does a common black hawk live?

A common black hawk has a long life unlike most of the Aves. Their lifespan is estimated to be around 24 years on average. In captivity, they may live for a few more years. This is because they are fed well and safe from the harsh life of the wild.

How do they reproduce?

A common black hawk has a reproductive cycle similar to other birds. This bird builds its nests on trees at an elevation of about 100 ft (30.4 m), safe from the predators of the ground such as snakes.

This bird either reuses its nests or builds it using straws and stems.

Post courtship display and mating, the female black hawk bird lays around one to three eggs which have brown markings on white shells in the nests. After the eggs hatch and the young birds are born, they are taken care of by the female, till they are ready to explore the habitat.

What is their conservation status?

A common black hawk bird has a stable population and falls under the category of Least Concern species. In fact, their population is seen increasing in the warmer regions of Central and Southern America. But we humans have to still be careful and not invade their natural habitats, as it can pose a serious threat to their existence.

Common Black Hawk Fun Facts

What do common black hawks look like?

With a striking appearance, a common black hawk bird appears strong and muscular. With a strong hooked bill and the entire body clad in full black and gray broad wings, these raptors have a one-of-a-kind appearance.

They have a long wingspan, a pair of short legs with a strong grip, and a short tail with black feathers and a white tip, all these add to their beast of prey aura.

The bill is black and the legs are yellow. Both the sexes of this species appear similar, but the young birds are dark brown above with spotting and streaks over the body.

How cute are they?

This bird is less on the cute side and more on the scary side. If a person looks at this bird it would appear as if it is frowning. The dark color of its feathers composing its exoskeleton and a hooked bill with a black tip at a point make it appear wild and daunting.

How do they communicate?

A common black hawk bird has a distinct piping call which is something like 'spink speenk speenk spink'. Besides, this bird species also communicates with their partners using a unique courtship display during the breeding season. What is unusual about hawks is that they somewhat scream to communicate with others of their clan.

How big is a common black hawk?

With the exception of a red-tailed hawk, all the hawk birds are smaller in size than eagles. A common black hawk is usually smaller than an eagle bird. A common black hawk range of size is 17-21 in (43.1-53.3 cm) with a wingspan of 48-50 in (121.9-127 cm). These raptors are almost always smaller than eagles and vultures.

How fast can a common black hawk fly?

A common black hawk is a fast bird. It can fly at a very good speed and especially during foraging activity. But there is no proper data on its speed during flight.

How much does a common black hawk weigh?

These are small-sized yet muscular raptors. An average common black hawk weighs around 33 oz (0.93 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both male and female common black hawks have very similar physical appearances. But they are referred to by separate names. A male hawk is referred to as tierces, while a female hawk is referred to as a hen.

What would you call a baby common black hawk?

A baby common black hawk is referred to as an eyas. A juvenile black hawk or an eyas has a mixture of dark brown and black plumage. Their underparts are whitish in appearance and their flight feathers are not present at birth.

What do they eat?

A common black hawk has a total carnivore diet, which mostly consists of crustaceans like crabs. But this bird also feeds on small lizards, frogs, and other small mammals found on land.

Are they dangerous?

These birds are usually not harmful to humans but care has to be taken while strolling in their vicinity. They get really aggressive during breeding seasons, so at that time it is advisable to maintain a distance from these birds.

Would they make a good pet?

It is a very uncommon practice to pet these wild birds, but some do so using a license. It is advisable to not take them as pets since these birds need open areas to fly and forage and are not meant to be held captive.

Did you know...

Hawks are said to have a lot of significance across cultures. Some cultures take hawks as a symbol of wisdom, patients, and courage. While some take them as symbols of fight and war, in other cultures they signify evil and danger.

Are they the most common hawks?

Yes, from the name you can understand that these hawks are quite common in their habitats and surrounding regions. The rarest hawk you might come across is a short-tailed hawk. These are very rare in the United States and are least studied by ornithologists.

What is special about hawks?

Hawks have exceptional vision, three or more times better than that of humans. Canadian Ornithologist Louis Lefebvre devised a method to measure Avian IQ, in which it was found out that the hawks are the most intelligent birds of all.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our Hawaiian hawk facts and prairie falcon facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our common black hawk coloring pages.