Common Black-Hawk

Buteogallus anthracinus was one of my most wanted birds on my recent trip to Arizona.  It's special for a number reasons: it's the only member of its unique family to reach the US, it feeds primarily on crayfish which is weird, and its US range is shrinking rapidly so it might not be long before they no longer breed here.  Thankfully, I managed to actually see several over the course of the trip and this one in particular was quite photogenic.  Despite being perched right at the tip top of a tree, I walked right past him at first and didn't see him until my return down the path!

Photo taken on Mt. Lemmon, AZ.