Central America Wildlife – Common Black Hawk

Common Black Hawks are successful predatory birds. The short tail is black with a single broad white band and a white tip. The bill is black and the legs and cere are yellow. It has very broad wings, and is mainly black or dark gray.

They often perch for long periods on a branch over water, waiting for their prey to appear. The adult Common Black Hawk is 43-53 cm long and weighs 930g on average. They often perch for long periods on a branch over water, waiting for their prey to appear. The Common Black Hawk feeds mainly on crabs, but will also take small vertebrates and eggs. Lifespan of a common black hawk is around 24 years.

It builds a platform nest of sticks fifteen to one hundred feet above the ground in a tree, often a mangrove. Nests are often reused and tend to grow bigger. No detailed information is available on pair bonding, territoriality, or most other aspects of this species’ social behavior. The pair often fly together, with their wings fluttering and held at a strong dihedral angle. Loud and hoarse whistles, sounding like those of the Night-Heron are common during nesting season.

The male may sweep down and land directly on the female, or he may perch beside her for a time before mounting. Copulation occurs about 15 to 90 meters from the nest on a branch or rock. Up to four copulations per day occur as the egg laying period approaches. It lays one to three eggs (usually one), which are whitish with brown markings. Incubation lasts for 38 to 39 days. Fledging period is between 43 to 50 days, and post-fledging dependence of the juvenile on the adult lasts 6 to 8 weeks.

It is found in parts of the Americas, from the Southwestern United States through Central America to Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles. Generally these birds inhabit lowland areas, with a source of water nearby. In Guatemala it can be found around the Caribbean coasts. The current conservation rating of the Common Black-Hawk is Least Concern.

Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Animal Facts – Black Necked Stilt

The Black-necked Stilt is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. They also have partially webbed feet, which allow them to swim – but they rarely do. Stilts’ legs are longer in proportion to their bodies than any other bird except the flamingo. The tail is white with some grey banding. A continuous area of black extends from the back along to the head. There, it forms a cap covering the entire head from the top to just below eye-level, with the exception of the areas surrounding the bill and a small white spot above the eye.

They have a length of 35-39 cm and a wingspan of 71 cm. Their lifespan is approximately 20 years. The Black-necked Stilt forages by probing and gleaning mostly in lakeshores, but also in very shallow waters near shores. It seeks out a range of aquatic invertebrates, mainly crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, tadpoles and very rarely plant seeds.

The Black-necked Stilt is actually classified as semi-colonial since the nests are rarely found alone and colonies usually number dozens, rarely hundreds of pairs. The nests are typically sited within one kilometer of a feeding location, and the pairs defend an extensive perimeter around groups of nests, patrolling in cooperation with their neighbors.

The clutch size generally is 3-5 eggs. For 22-26 days both sexes take turns incubating the eggs. The young are seen swimming within two hours after hatching and are also capable of rapid land velocity at that early time. In spite of this early development the young normally return to the nest for resting for one or two more days but remain dependent on their parents for some more weeks. These guys usually breed after the rainy season. They begin to breed at 1-2 years of age. Males have a greenish gloss to the back and wings, particularly in the breeding season.

They are not in the threatened species list but their numbers are declining because of the destruction or their habitat. It is found through Central America and the Caribbean to Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and the Galpagos Islands. The Black-necked Stilt is found in estuarine, salt pond and emergent wetland habitats; it is generally a lowland bird but in Central America has been found up to 8,200 ft (2,500 m).

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She has traveled here extensively. Now loves organizing vacations to this amazing part of the world, having first hand experience of all the places with her family. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!