Common Black Hawk

A Common Black Hawk spotted in Damas Island, near Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

Quite a large bird, at least 40cm or so tall. It has very broad wings, and is mainly black or dark gray. 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. The adults resemble zone-tailed hawks, but have fewer white bars on their tail and are larger in size.