A David Mead original from Raptors of the World, published by Christopher Helm as a Handbook (2001) and a Field Guide (2005).

PLATE 50 in Handbook (Field Guide plates 54 & 55)

Gundlach’s Hawk Accipiter gundlachi
Cuba

Bicoloured Hawk Accipiter bicolor*
Central and South America

*One subspecies shown here is elevated to species level in Field Guide as Chilean Hawk Accipiter chilensis.

ABOUT THE BIRDS Gundlach’s Hawk is an endangered species, partly as a result of persecution in areas where it is considered a serious predator of poultry.

The Bicoloured Hawk lives in Amazonian forests, where its preference for woodland-edge habitat leaves it largely unaffected by partial forest clearance. It unknowingly helps to protect the less aggressive Rufous-thighed Kite (plate 14), which has evolved into a look-alike of the fiercer accipiter to deter predators. Both the Bicoloured and Gundlach’s Hawks are closely related to Cooper’s Hawk (plate 49).

Medium Gouache on tinted acrylic gesso
Image size 8in x 12in (20cm x 30cm)