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Black-collared Hawk (Busarellus nigricollis)
Photo: Josh Noseworthy (CC BY)
🦅 Native species of the Iberá

Black-collared Hawk

Busarellus nigricollis

The fishing hawk of Iberá. A white head with a black throat, a reddish-chestnut body. It fishes by plunging into the water just like an osprey.

A raptor highly specialized in fishing. Its head is white with a striking black throat and bib. Its body is reddish-chestnut with black flight feathers and a black-tipped tail. Its eyes are reddish and its toes have rough scales to grip wet fish. It measures 45 to 50 cm. It is the South American equivalent of the osprey in the inland wetlands: a skilled fisher that does not hesitate to plunge partway in to catch a fish.

Behaviour

It hunts from posts or high branches over the water, spotting fish near the surface and dropping feet-first to seize them, sometimes plunging partway in. It also catches young capybaras, frogs and water snakes.

How and when to see it

Year round. It perches conspicuously on high branches over the water at all the portals with open bodies of water. Excellent for photographing from boats.

Where to see it in the Iberá

The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where black-collared hawk has confirmed presence:

Tours to see it

Verified providers operating at the gateways where black-collared hawk lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.

Species profile

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