The white-breasted hawk is a small hawk found from southern Mexico to Nicaragua. 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
Mesoamerica
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to northern Nicaragua, mainly in montane pine–oak, cloud forest, and adjacent evergreen forest. Favors forest interiors and edges, narrow ravines, and riparian corridors with dense cover. It uses semi-open mosaics such as second growth and shade-coffee plantations near mature forest. Generally secretive and often detected when dashing through the understory or by its sharp calls.
Altitude Range
1000–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The white-breasted hawk is a small forest accipiter of Mesoamerican highlands, often treated as part of the sharp-shinned hawk complex. Adults are notable for their clean white underparts with little or no rufous barring, separating them from northern sharp-shinned forms. Its taxonomy remains unsettled, with some authorities recognizing white-breasted, plain-breasted, and rufous-thighed hawks as separate species. Like other Accipiters, females are noticeably larger than males.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically solitary outside the breeding season and highly secretive while hunting. Pairs are monogamous, nesting in tall conifers or oaks and reusing general territories across years. Clutch usually 3–5 eggs; both sexes incubate, with the male providing most prey during early nesting.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives sharp, high-pitched kik-kik-kik or kek-kek series, often accelerating near the nest. Also emits thin whines and chatter during pair interactions. Vocalizations carry well through dense forest.
