Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle
Geranoaetus melanoleucus
Despite its common name, it is taxonomically a large hawk rather than a true eagle, though its massive wingspan rivals that of eagles.
- Scientific name
- Geranoaetus melanoleucus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Geranoaetus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Montane grasslands, shrublands, paramo, open steppes, and rocky canyons.
- Diet
- Mainly small to mid-sized mammals like rodents, rabbits, and degus, supplemented by birds, reptiles, and occasionally carrion.
- Range
- Andes Mountains, Patagonia, Pampa, South America
- Size
- Wingspan of 175-200 cm (5.7-6.6 ft); weight of 1.7-3.2 kg
- Lifespan
- 20 to 25 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Persecution by livestock farmers, secondary poisoning from rodenticides, and collisions with power lines.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans under normal circumstances, but defensive if nesting. Maintain a safe distance of at least 50 meters, especially near cliffs or high perches. If the bird begins vocalizing loudly or swooping, slowly back away. In the extremely rare event of a talon scratch or bite, wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical evaluation to prevent infection.
The black-chested buzzard-eagle ( Geranoaetus melanoleucus ) is a bird of prey of the hawk and eagle family (Accipitridae). It lives in open regions of South America. This species is also known as the black buzzard-eagle , grey buzzard-eagle or analogously with "eagle" or "eagle-buzzard" replacing "buzzard-eagle", or as the Chilean blue eagle . It is sometimes placed in the genus Buteo .
Photo: Ariadna Tripaldi, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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