Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Plymouth, Tobago

Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Plymouth Tobago

Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus

Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Plymouth, Tobago

Common Black Hawk (click for larger pic)

A not so common sighting of this raptor near Plymouth in Tobago today, I was fortunate to photograph the bird complete with its catch, an opossum Didelphis marsupialis know locally as Manicou, which is equally unusual as the Black Hawk is known more for eating crab than mammals,
even Richard Ffrench in his guide to the birds of Trinidad & Tobago states that he has only knowledge of a crab diet.

Buteogallus anthracinus Common Black Hawk

With myself below and the constant harassment above of Tropical Kingbirds Tyrannus melancholicus which on more than one pass made physical contact with the hawk in an attempt to protect their nest only a few branches away, the common black hawk had little chance to settle and quickly took off for quieter surroundings. A rare encounter of this marvelous raptor.

Feather markings on a Common Black Hawk

Common Black Hawk with Mammal Prey

Tropical Kingbird harassing Black Hawk

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