The Mighty Galapagos Hawk: Exploring Galapagos Islands' Birds

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The majestic Galapagos Hawk is the largest land bird to be exclusively found on the Galapagos archipelago. It is also the only bird of prey on the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Hawk is a large, dark-colored hawk endemic to the Galapagos Islands. These hawks have broad wings and tails, and are similar in size to the American red-tailed and Swainson’s hawks. However, there is a bit of variation in their size due to the variety of habitats in which they occur. The largest hawks nest on Española Island. The Galapagos Hawk nests anywhere from the shoreline to the deciduous forest. Despite their size relative to some of the other animals who inhabit the archipelago, the Galapagos Hawk is actually an aggressive predator.

Not only is it the only bird of prey on the Galapagos Islands, it is also the only predator of larger animals on the island. The Galapagos Hawk feeds on just about anything, including rodents, birds, lizards, young goats, young tortoises and sea turtles, insects, and carrion.