The New Neotropical Companion

each of which has a crest atop its head. The Ornate

Hawk- Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus; plate 15- 147) has a

bright orange neck and a tall black crest. The Black

Hawk- Eagle (S. tyrannus) is uniformly dark, and the

Black- and- white Hawk- Eagle (S. melanoleucus) is

black above and white below. Hawk- eagles are soaring

hawks, usually seen above the canopy making circles

high overhead.

The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja; plate 15- 148)

ranks among the most magnificent of Neotropical birds

and is arguably the largest bird of prey in the world.

Nonetheless, it is secretive, tending not to soar and

thus is hard to see well. It ranges from southern Central

America throughout Amazonia but is difficult to find

over most of that vast territory. However, many birding

tour operators now have reasonable success at showing

their clients this remarkable raptor because they

monitor where the birds are nesting. This huge predator

is just over 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and has extraordinarily thick,

powerful legs and feet. As with all birds of prey, females

Plate 15- 142. Pearl Kite. Photo by John

Kricher.

Plate 15- 141. King Vulture. Photo by

Steve Bird.

Plate 15- 143. Savanna Hawk. Photo by

John Kricher.

Plate 15- 145. The Great Black Hawk often

is found perched along streams and

rivers, where it searches for potential prey

items. Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 15- 144. White Hawk soaring, a

typical behavior. Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 15- 146. The Roadside Hawk is

perhaps the most commonly sighted

raptor throughout the Neotropics.

Photo by John Kricher.

chapter 15 neotropical birds: the bustling crowd 311