MEASUREMENTS: The Ornate Hawk-Eagle has a body length of 23 - 26 inches, a wingspan of 3 - 4 feet, and weighs 2 - 3 1/2 pounds. HABITAT: This hawk-eagle can be found in humid forests from lowland swamp forests to higher elevation primary forests of subtropical and tropical Central and South America. DIET: This accipiter-like eagle hunts medium-sized birds, mammals, and sometimes reptiles. Ornate Hawk-Eagles usually hunt from a perch within the forest or at a forest edge. The prey is taken on the ground, snatched from a tree branch, or is taken in flight. Stealth and ambush are important aspects of this powerful raptor's hunting style. REPRODUCTION: Ornate Hawk-Eagles build a large stick nest on a branch of a tall tree. The female lays 1 egg that is incubated for 44 - 48 days. The young hawk-eagle will fledge from 9 1/2 - 13 weeks after hatching, but will stay near the nest and be fed by the parents for up to 1 year after fledging. NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Greek words spizias, referring to a hawk; aetos, an eagle; and the Latin word, ornatus, meaning adorned or ornate. The common name mimics the scientific name and describes this bird to be an eagle that is like a hawk, with eye-catching plumage. INTERESTING FACTS: The female Ornate Hawk-Eagle does most of the feeding of the chick while it is in the nest. The male will bring food to within a few hundred feet of the nest and give the food to the female, but usually does not feed the young. When the chick is half-grown and able to defend itself, both parents hunt and provide for the chick. After the young hawk-eagle has fledged, the male appears to play the main role in providing for the young bird. Hawk-eagles are small to medium-sized raptors with short, broad wings and a long tail. This body design is similar to that of accipiter hawks. The Ornate Hawk-Eagle has a slender body and beak, feathers that extend down the leg to the toes, and long talons on powerful feet.

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