Buteo platypterus (Vieillot, 1823)

Broad-winged Hawk; Gavilán Bobo

Sparvius platypterus Vieillot,1823, in Bonnaterre and Vieillot, Tabl. Encycl Méth. (Ornithol.), Vol.3, no. 93, p. 1273.

Referred material. San Felipe II: Distal half of left femur, MNHNCu 75.4740; distal end of right tibiotarsus, MNHNCu 75.4738; proximal end of left tarsometatarsus, MNHNCu 75.4739.

Description. This material represents the smaller species of Buteo in the deposit.

Comments. The Broad-winged Hawk was identified and recorded for Las Breas de San Felipe by Suárez & Olson (2003b:73), based on the material discussed here. Reported by Suárez & Arredondo (1997) from cave deposits in western Cuba. Buteo platypterus Vieillot,1823, is today a common resident in Cuba, and represents an endemic subspecies, B. p. cubanensis Burns, 1911, which lives in forests and pine forests (Garrido & García Montaña 1975; Garrido & Kirkconnell 2011). Individuals of the nominative subspecies are rare, some of them remaining on the island during the winter (Garrido & Kirkconnell 2011:79).