A noteworthy new record of Gray-bellied Hawk, Accipiter poliogaster (Temmink, 1824) (Accipitiformes, Accipitridae), in the lowlands of northern Costa Rica

Abstract

Gray-bellied Hawk, Accipiter poliogaster (Temmink, 1824), is a rare forest dwelling raptor in South America. This hawk migrates from Paraguay and northern Argentina (Misiones) in the south to the equator for the winter. In Costa Rica this species has occasionally been recorded from a few localities. We present here a new record from a disturbed area in the northern lowlands of the country. Accipiter poliogaster may be a rare vagrant or an occasional visitor in Costa Rica, or it may be expanding its range northward into the country due to increases in disturbed land caused by humans.