Savanna Hawk Gallery

Buteogallus meridionalis

The Birds of the World website introduces the Savanna Hawk with this descriptive information:  The Savanna Hawk is widespread raptor of open country habitats throughout the lowlands of tropical and subtropical South America. Like other members of the genus Buteogallus, the Savanna Hawk has a broad diet, and consumes a wide range of prey including small mammals, birds, crabs, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes and large insects. Its foraging strategy is equally diverse, and it will capture prey on the wing, from perches, or even by stalking on foot. Savanna Hawks can often be found walking through burning fields, a few feet behind the flames,  searching for toasted prey. It is also the most distinctive member of Buteogallus: the plumage of other species predominately is black, but the plumage of the Savanna Hawk is a crisp cinnamon overall, with considerable gray patterning overlaying a rufous body.

I met my first Savanna Hawk  on the morning of Tuesday, August 22, 2023.  Our Jeff Parker Tour group was headed to Fazenda Santa Tereza for a couple of days of watching birds and wildlife in the Pantanal Region of Brazil.  We were on MT-060 which turns into the Transpantaneira Highway when we spotted this bird near the road.  For details of my Brazilian trip that include the sighting of this bird, look here.  Below are a couple of my photos of this majestic raptor.