Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Tiny Hawk

Accipiter superciliosus

The tiny hawk, a diminutive diurnal bird of prey, is one of the smallest members of the true raptors. Males, roughly the size of a starling, measure a mere 20 cm in length, while females are slightly larger at 26.5 cm. Exhibiting sexual dimorphism, females can be up to 60% heavier than their male counterparts. The adult male sports a dark slaty gray plumage above, with a mottled gray face and a paler gray supercilium. Its underparts are white with fine gray barring, and it possesses a longish tail with paler gray bands. The female mirrors the male in pattern but is browner above with buffier underparts. Both sexes have yellow cere and legs, a relatively heavy gray bill, and red or red-brown irises, though immatures may have yellowish eyes.

Identification Tips

The tiny hawk can be identified by its short, squared or notched tail, medium-length wings with pointed tips, and long legs and toes. Immature birds present in two color morphs: brown and rufous, with the former being dark sooty-brown above and the latter more chestnut with rufous barring below.

Habitat

This species is found in humid and wet lowland forests, including secondary growth, and forested foothills up to 1800 meters, though most commonly below 1000 meters.

Distribution

The tiny hawk's range extends from eastern Nicaragua to western Ecuador, northern Bolivia, northern Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Brazil.

Behaviour

A secretive bird, the tiny hawk often perches in the undergrowth to the canopy, preferring the middle story. It exhibits rapid flight, with quick flaps followed by brief wing closures. On sunny mornings, it may bask on high open branches, sometimes in pairs.

Song & Calls

The call is a high-pitched, somewhat quavery series of 20–30 notes, settling into a steady rhythm after initial accelerating notes, described as caucau-ca-ca-ca, keer-keer-keer, or kree-ree-ree-ree.

Breeding

Breeding seasons vary by location, with nests built in tall trees' canopies and one to three bluish-white eggs laid, faintly streaked and spotted with brown. Incubation and fledging periods remain unknown.

Similar Species

The tiny hawk may be confused with other Accipiter species, but its small size and specific tail and wing characteristics help distinguish it.

Diet and Feeding

Primarily a bird-eater, the tiny hawk preys on hummingbirds and small passerines, often ambushing them from concealment. It may also hunt rodents and bats.

Conservation status

The tiny hawk is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable population.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Tiny Hawks on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Ben Gloag
Ben Gloag
18 Mar 2024 - 11:33pm
Peru

More Kites, Hawks, Eagles

A photo of a Shikra (Accipiter badius)

Shikra

Accipiter badius
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.