Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus ornatus

Por | By Biól. Jesús Ángel Barajas Fragoso

April 07, 2026

This majestic and powerful bird has a beautiful distinctive crest. It soars between morning and midday, earlier than any other raptor. It hunts deep in the forest using stealth and ambush, and can
capture prey twice its weight. The Ornate Hawk-eagle raises one chick every two years and the pair can reuse the same nest, so it must be well built and sturdy. Sadly, it is an Endangered species in Mexico and
in America it is considered Near Threatened due to habitat loss, according to the criteria of the Red
List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
This rare species has been spotted south of Banderas Bay, here in the state of Jalisco. So if you’re
very lucky, you might have the chance to see it on your next visit to Western Mexico.

If you want to know more about this bird, we
recommend you visit the Crónicas del Chivizcoyo
channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=oMlp4cJtMs0