The white-throated hawk is a bird of prey in subfamily Buteoninae, the "soaring" hawks, of family Accipitridae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Breeds chiefly in temperate and mixed Nothofagus forests of southern Chile and adjacent Argentina, using forest edges, clearings, and second-growth. In the nonbreeding season it disperses north through the Andes into Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. It also occurs in coastal ranges and foothills where suitable forest remains. The species favors patchy woodland mosaics where it can hunt from perches or while soaring.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A compact, forest-associated buteo, the white-throated hawk soars above and hunts along edges of Andean temperate forests. Its bright white throat contrasts with a darker hood, a key ID feature that separates it from similar Variable and Swainson’s hawks. It breeds mainly in southern Chile and Argentina and moves northward along the Andes in the austral winter. As a mid-level predator, it helps control small mammals and birds.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
soaring glider
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs during the breeding season, displaying soaring courtship flights. Builds a stick nest high in a forest tree; the pair defends a woodland territory. Clutch is small, usually 1–2 eggs, and both adults participate in care.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Gives high, whistled calls and thin, mewing notes, often while soaring. Vocalizations are most frequent near the nest and during display flights, carrying well over forested valleys.
Plumage
Dark brown upperparts with a contrasting bright white throat and whitish underparts marked by fine brown streaking and a dusky belly band; tail finely barred. Some individuals show a darker hooded look with crisp white throat and chest.
Diet
Takes small mammals, small birds, reptiles, and large insects. Hunts from elevated perches along forest edges and clearings, dropping swiftly on prey. Will also quarter over slopes and ride thermals to scan open patches.
Preferred Environment
Forest edges, riverine corridors, and patchy woodland near open fields or clearcuts. Often uses ridgelines and thermals to search for prey over mixed forest–open mosaics.
