Photo: Hervébreton / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous Crab Hawk
Buteogallus aequinoctialis
Rufous Crab Hawk (Buteogallus aequinoctialis) — Birds of Prey of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous Crab Hawk (Buteogallus aequinoctialis) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in South America. Adults weigh 658 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Buteogallus
- Species aequinoctialis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 658 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous Crab Hawk hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rufous Crab Hawk is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous Crab Hawk (Buteogallus aequinoctialis) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA coastal Venezuela to coastal ne Brazil.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 658 g, with a wing length of about 31.6 cm and a tail of around 14.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 133,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous Crab Hawk?
The Rufous Crab Hawk is a large bird that weighs around 658 g.
Where does the Rufous Crab Hawk live?
The Rufous Crab Hawk is found across South America with a range covering SA coastal Venezuela to coastal ne Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rufous Crab Hawk belong to?
The Rufous Crab Hawk (Buteogallus aequinoctialis) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Rufous Crab Hawk eat?
The Rufous Crab Hawk hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Rufous Crab Hawk migrate?
The Rufous Crab Hawk is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufous Crab Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Rufous Crab Hawk make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous Crab Hawk — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous Crab Hawk's range?
The Rufous Crab Hawk has a mapped global range of about 133,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Accipitridae
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
More in Birds of Prey
Endangered
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.