About Leucopternis lacernulatus (Temminck, 1827)
Description: The white-necked hawk, Leucopternis lacernulatus, measures 43 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) in length, with a wingspan of 91 to 101 cm (36 to 40 in). Males and females have identical plumage, though females are approximately 4% larger than males. Adult individuals have a white head, white underparts, and black upperparts. Their tail is black with a wide white band across its middle. Their eyes are brown or pale yellow, and their legs and feet are yellow. Immature white-necked hawks are similar to adults, but have dark streaks on their crown and neck, brown tips on some upperpart feathers, and white barring on the black base of the tail.
Distribution and habitat: The white-necked hawk has a discontinuous range in southeastern Brazil, occurring from Paraíba south to Paraná state. It may have previously occurred further south, in what is now Santa Catarina state. It mostly lives in dense primary Atlantic Forest, though it has also been recorded in secondary forest. In terms of elevation, it generally ranges from sea level up to at least 900 m (3,000 ft), and can reach up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft) locally in Minas Gerais.
