Rufous-tailed Hawk (Buteo ventralis) natural history in Argentine Patagonia.

PASTORE, H.; LAMBERTUCCI, S.A.; GELAIN, M.

Neotropical Raptors

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Lugar: Kempton, Pensilvania, USA; Año: 2007; p. 106 - 118

The Rufous-tailed Hawk (Buteo ventralis), an Andean endemic of southern Argentina and Chile, is almost unknown to science. Discovered 170 years ago it has been little studied since. Here we map its Argentinean distribution based on both published and new unpublished observations. We include morphometric measurements, necropsy and diet of an individual, and cranial measurements of two individuals. We obtained a total of 52 records for the species, 14 of which are new. More than 55% of the records are from the last 10 years, indicating increased interest in the species. Rufous-tailed Hawks occur in at least four of the five provinces of Argentinean Patagonia, and probably occur in Tierra del Fuego as well based on observations in Chile. Most records are from Río Negro (48%) and we confirmed the species as a year-round resident there. Seventy-four percent of the new records were from woodlands with open patches. Thirty-seven percent were in four of seven national protected areas in its range. A single necropsy indicated an exposed fracture of the right leg, probably a trap injury. Because of its diet, mammal traps, poisoning, and shooting may threaten the species.