The Gray Hawk is one of the rarest of all hawks in North America. It breeds in Arizona, Texas, and probably New Mexico, and withdraws from these areas during the nonbreeding season. It is a subtropical to tropical species and populations within the core of its range are nonmigratory. The plumage, as the name suggests, is primarily gray; the back is solid gray with the breast and stomach whitish gray flecked with darker gray. The tail is black with a broad centrally located white band, and a narrower terminal white band. The hawk has an accipiter flight style with rapid shallow wingbeats followed by a glide. It breeds in riparian areas embedded within an arid landscape. The favored prey item is arboreal lizards, but also includes birds and small mammals.
SIZE
The Gray Hawk is a small buteo with an average length from head to tail of 17 inches (42 centimeters) and a wingspan of 34 inches (87 centimeters). The male wing chord length averages 9.6 inches (24.5 centimeters) and the female is 10.1 inches (25.7 centimeters). Average weight for males is between 0.88 and 0.91 pounds (399 grams) and females 1.4 pounds (635 grams).
MORPHS
There are no reported color morphs for this species.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
Adult - Perched
- gray upperparts extending from head to rump
- short tails
- gray barred underparts
- prominent yellow cere
- black tail is long with one wide and one narrow inner white band
- wingtips reach about mid tail
- white "U" on upper tail coverts
Immature - Perched
- brown upperparts with streaks on head, nape, and neck
- underside streaked white and brown
- dark brown eyeline bordered by buffy eyebrow and white cheek patch; dark malar stripe
- prominent yellow cere
- upper leg feathers barred
- dark bands on long tail become narrower towards body; terminal tail band widest
- wingtips reach about mid tail
- white "U" on upper tail coverts
SIMILAR SPECIES
It is similar in overall size and flight style to the Cooper's Hawk. The immature can be confused with the Broad-winged Hawk, but it has stronger barring on the head, a white crescent-shaped rump patch, and barred leg feathers.
OTHER NAMES
The Gray Hawk has also been called the "Mexican goshawk", "Shining Buzzard-Hawk", and "Sonora Gray Hawk."
ETYMOLOGY
The latin for Buteo means "a kind of hawk or falcon" and nitidus means "bright or shining". Hence, bright hawk or shining hawk.
MYTHOLOGY
No information for North America.
VOICE
The voice of the Gray Hawk has been compared with notes from a flute, uttered during aerial courtship, and a peacock when agitated or in a defensive situation. A "Cree-ee-ee" is given throughout the breeding season between birds, and is thought to play a role in pair maintenance. When birds are stressed, such as in territorial defence, they will cry "Yee-ee-ee" followed by a "Pee-yeer". At times only the "Pee-yeer" will be used with the second syllable loudest.
