Photo: Original uploader was Amendezg at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) — Birds of Prey of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 496 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Buteo
- Species brachyurus
Where it lives
Eastern Mexico to northern Argentina; also southern Florida
Quick facts
- Weight
- 496 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Short-tailed Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Short-tailed Hawk is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA e Mexico to n Argentina; also s Florida.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 496 g, with a wing length of about 30.8 cm and a tail of around 17.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 14.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Short-tailed Hawk?
The Short-tailed Hawk is a large bird that weighs around 496 g.
Where does the Short-tailed Hawk live?
The Short-tailed Hawk is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA e Mexico to n Argentina; also s Florida, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Short-tailed Hawk belong to?
The Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Short-tailed Hawk eat?
The Short-tailed Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Short-tailed Hawk migrate?
The Short-tailed Hawk is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Short-tailed Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Short-tailed Hawk make?
1 real field recording of the Short-tailed Hawk — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Short-tailed Hawk's range?
The Short-tailed Hawk has a mapped global range of about 14.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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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.