About Leucopternis schistaceus (Sundevall, 1850)
This species, Leucopternis schistaceus (Sundevall, 1850), is a medium-sized to large bird that typically measures around 40 cm (16 in) in length. Its body is a medium slate-grey color, and its tail feathers have contrasting bright white horizontal banding. The breast is medium-white with vertical black markings. The bird has a large orange cere at the base of its beak, and large yellow eyes. The slate-colored hawk lives across most of the Amazon rainforest, and is found primarily in várzea, particularly in areas near water such as rivers, swamps, or mangroves. It hunts frogs, snakes, small mammals, crabs, and other small animals, often hunting along the edges of bodies of water.
