Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Savanna Hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis)
Savanna Hawk

Savanna Hawk

Buteogallus meridionalis

The Savanna Hawk, Buteogallus meridionalis, is a large raptor with a striking presence. Adults typically measure between 46 to 61 centimeters in length and weigh around 845 grams. They exhibit a rufous plumage with grey mottling on the upper parts and fine black barring below. Their long, broad wings are adorned with black flight feathers, while their tail features a distinctive black and white banding. One cannot miss the yellow legs of this bird, which stand out as it perches in its habitat.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Savanna Hawk, look for its very vertical perching stance and notably long legs. The adult's rufous body, grey mottled upper parts, and black-barred lower parts are key characteristics. The black and white banded tail and yellow legs are also distinctive. Immature birds share a similar appearance with adults but have darker, duller upper parts, paler underparts with coarser barring, and a whitish supercilium.

Habitat

This raptor is commonly found in open savannas and swamp edges, where it can be seen perching or hunting.

Distribution

The Savanna Hawk breeds from Panama and Trinidad southwards to Bolivia, Uruguay, and central Argentina. There have been occasional reports of sightings in California, specifically in Alameda County in 1973 and San Diego County in 1974.

Behaviour

The Savanna Hawk is known for its hunting prowess, often sitting on an open high perch before swooping down on its prey. It is also known to hunt on foot, and interestingly, several birds may congregate at grass fires to capture fleeing prey.

Food and Feeding

Its diet is quite varied, including small mammals, birds, lizards, snakes, toads, frogs, eels, other fish, crabs, roots, spiders, and large insects such as grasshoppers. This bird of prey utilizes both aerial attacks from perches and ground hunting techniques to capture its diverse prey.

Breeding

The breeding process involves constructing a nest of sticks lined with grass, typically situated in a palm tree. The Savanna Hawk lays a single white egg, and the young are known to take approximately 6.5 to 7.5 weeks to fledge.

Conservation status

The Savanna Hawk is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline or habitat loss at a global scale.

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

Savanna Hawks on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Kites, Hawks, Eagles

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
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
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!
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.