Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
ROADSIDE HAWK – (Species Account Blog #93)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Accipitriformes,
- FAMILY: Accipitridae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Rupornis magnirostris
The Roadside Hawk, which is found from northern Mexico south to Argentina, is one of the most widespread raptors of the neotropics. It is so named due to its preference for the edges of forest; it occurs in many different environments, including the edges of tropical lowland forest, deciduous forest, and desert. The adult has staring pale eyes and streaked breast contrasting with barred belly. (from Birds of the World)
SIMILAR SPECIES
The Roadside Hawk is the smallest hawk in the widespread genus Buteo. In flight, the relatively long tail and disproportionately short wings of the roadside hawk are distinctive.
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we observed Roadside Hawks at Rancho Naturalista and near Sarapiqui..
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 
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