The rufous-thighed hawk is a small hawk found from southern Brazil and southeastern Bolivia to Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina. It is usually considered a subspecies of the sharp-shinned hawk by most taxonomists, including the American Ornithological Society, but the taxonomy is far from resolved, with some authorities considering the southern taxa to represent three separate species: white-breasted hawk, plain-breasted hawk, and rufous-thighed hawk.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs from southeastern Bolivia and southern Brazil south through Paraguay and Uruguay into northern Argentina. Prefers mature and secondary forests, forest edges, gallery woods, and wooded riparian corridors. It also uses plantations, larger parks, and mosaic agricultural landscapes where tree cover remains. In much of its range it is unobtrusive, hunting within the subcanopy and along edges. Local movements may track prey availability and seasonal conditions.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small forest hawk of southern South America, it is noted for its distinctive rufous thighs that give the species its name. Taxonomy is unsettled: many authorities treat it within the sharp-shinned hawk complex, while others recognize it as a full species. It is an agile, secretive ambush hunter that slips through dense foliage to surprise prey. Despite being inconspicuous, it adapts to a range of wooded habitats, including secondary growth and forest edges.
Temperament
secretive and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides, agile through dense cover
Social Behavior
Generally solitary outside the breeding season and strongly territorial. Pairs build a stick nest high in trees within forest or well-wooded areas. Clutch size is typically 2–5 eggs; the female incubates while the male provides prey. Fledglings remain near the nest area while adults continue provisioning.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Usually quiet, but near the nest gives rapid, high-pitched kek-kek-kek alarm calls. Courtship and territory calls are sharp, repeated kik notes and chattering series. Away from breeding sites it is mostly silent.
Plumage
Adult upperparts are bluish-slate to dark grey with a darker cap; underparts are whitish with fine rufous barring, most intense on the flanks and thighs. The namesake thighs are warm rufous; tail shows several dark bands with a paler tip. Juveniles are brown above with buffy edges and heavily streaked underparts. Both sexes are similar, females larger.
Diet
Primarily hunts small birds, including tanagers, finches, and small doves, taken by surprise from perches or during swift dashes through cover. Also captures large insects such as beetles and orthopterans, and occasionally small mammals, lizards, or amphibians. Prey is plucked and consumed on a perch or carried to a protected site.
Preferred Environment
Forages within forest interiors, along edges, and in semi-open woodlands where cover enables ambush tactics. Frequently hunts from shaded perches in the subcanopy, launching short, rapid pursuits through foliage. Will use wooded urban parks and plantations where prey and cover are adequate.
