Buteo galapagoensis
Galapagos hawk

Galapagos Hawks Buteo galapagoensis are indigenous to a group of islands called the Galapagos Islands. The islands are located 600 miles west of Peru and Ecuador and just south of the equator, covering a 200 square mile range. Currently, this species can be found on the islands of Charles, Chatham, Duncan and Indefatigable. Previously, they were also found on Baltra and Tower islands (Thornton 1971).

This bird can be found throughout all the geographical biomes on the Galapagos Islands. These regions include the shoreline, lava fields, deciduous forest and mountaintops (Thornton 1971, del Hoyo, J., et al. 1994).

Galapagos Hawks are similar in size and shape to the Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis and the Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni of North America. The hawks are about 55 cm (21.5 in) long and have a wingspan of 120 cm (47 in). The iris of the eye is brown, and the legs, cere and the soft skin at the base of the beak are yellow. The tail is buffy white with lightly barred tail feathers. Females are noticeably larger than the males (sexually dimorphic). Unlike the adults, juvenile hawks are spotted with dark brown specks and pale breasted. Like other members of the Buteo species, these hawks have superior eyesight (Thornton 1971, del Hoyo, J., et al.1994, Wheeler, et al. 1995).

Galapagos Hawks show little fear of man, probably due to the fact that they have no natural predators on the islands. There have been documented incidents of field researchers being allowed to pet the wild hawks in their natural habitat. However, when young are present, adults demonstrate a strong territorial defense attempting to drive of percieved threats to their young.

The hawks live, roost and hunt in family groups of two or three. When hunting, the groups keep in sight of each other while soaring at a height of 50-200 meters (150- 650 ft). The members of the group will signal to one another when a carcass or prey has been found. During feeding, one hawk will dominate the food source and prevent the other family members from eating the carcass until satisfied. Apparently, the submissive hawks never challenge for dominance, preferring to wait until the dominant hawk is finished eating.

Mating begins in flight where the males make mock attacks on the female from above and slightly behind. Males follow the female as she descends to the trees below, where copulation occurs. Peculiar clucking noises are often heard during copulation. After copulation the males' flight patterns are slow and low to the ground.

The male hawks tend to be monogamous, while the females will mate with up to seven different males in a breeding season. Throughout the nesting period, the female and her males take turns incubating the eggs, feeding the young and defending the nest, while the others are away (Thornton 1971, del Hoyo, J., et al. 1994).

Galapagos Hawks are carnivorous and are skilled hunters. Their diet consists of lizards, rats, doves, centipedes, Audubon's Shearwaters Puffinus iherminieri iherminieri, both land and marine iguanas, small goats, boobies, and grasshoppers. They will also scavenge on almost any form of carrion with the exception of marine iguanas, seals and sea lions, the latter maybe due to the hide on the seals and sea lions being too thick to rip open. Galapagos Hawks will occasionally obtain a free meal by following fishing boats and goat hunters who toss out scraps (De Vries, in litt., Thornton 1971, del Hoyo. J., et al.1994, Howard, et al. 1994).

Galapagos Hawks have posed a problem for the settlers of the islands by preying upon their poultry and livestock (Thornton 1971).

Settlers introduced rats to the Galapagos Islands. Galapagos Hawks now include the rats in their diet, which helps control the rat population. (Thornton 1971).

Status: Rare (del Hoyo, J., et al. 1994)

Humans have hunted the Galapagos Hawk almost to extinction for destroying their poultry and other small livestock. As of 1971, reportedly there were only 200 pairs of the Galapagos Hawks remaining in the islands. If lower levels are reached, the IUCN may need to intervene to prevent extinction (Thornton 1971, del Hoyo, J., et al. 1994).