Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) Birrdwatching Costa Rica

The scientific name of the Roadside Hawk used to be Buteo magnirostris, been Buteo one of the most common genus of birds of prey in America, now it change in to Rupornis magnirostris. The genus Rupornis comes from the Greek, it is two words: “rhupos” meaning dirt and “ornis” meaning bird, and the species magnirostris comes from the Latin, as well two words: “magnus” meaning great and “rostris” meaning billed. The Roadside Hawk is one of Costa Rica most common bird of prey, it is wide spread and fairly common in both slopes from sea level up to 1,500 meters. It is a small hawk, with short wings that are rounded on the end and has a noticeable banded tail. When this bird is perch it is easy to identify, the gray head and upper breast together with the rufous barring on the rest of the underparts are quite diagnostic, but in flight it can be easily mistaken with actually quite a few other birds of prey, in flight it is important to notice rufous on the end of the primaries which is diagnostic, a