This medium-sized hawk measures 38–51 cm in body length, with females being considerably larger (by about 40%) than males.

[6] The head is black or very dark grey overall and extends halfway down the throat before suddenly becoming white,[5] so as to give a “hooded” or “capped” appearance.

[8] The feet, legs, cere and orbital skin are yellow[9] and the bill is black with a bluish grey base.

[10] The plumage of juveniles has been said to resemble that of the ornate hawk eagle and have even previously considered a separate species (A.

[1] This hawk has a wide but patchy distribution in tropical lowland evergreen forests of South America at elevations of 250-500m a.s.l.

[12] It may be expanding its range into Costa Rica with the increase in human-disturbed land, which this hawk appears to tolerate as a nesting habitat.

[17] In Ecuador, it has been sighted year-round and is therefore considered a permanent resident here (Global Raptor Information Network, 2012); and was once observed over 500m a.s.l at San Isidro.

[2] The single nest observed in Brazil constituted a platform built in the upper branches of a Parana pine.

[14][2] However, unlike in other Accipiter species, the female of the grey-bellied hawk does not bring food to the nestlings while they are growing.

[1] It was uplisted from Least Concern in 2012 given projected future population declines in view of ongoing deforestation in the Amazon.