Behavior

Often seen perched on emergent snags or on forest edges, where it may survey the surroundings in the early morning. During the day, it is more often seen perched on large limbs within the forest. It hunts from perches in the mid to upper levels of the forest and makes swift flights between them or to attack prey.

In mid-morning, it may soar over the forest canopy calling tirelessly (Howell and Webb 1995). This species soars less frequently than its congener the Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus), usually circling fairly low whereas Black Hawk-Eagle often circles quite high above the canopy. Ridgely and Gwynne (1989) note that Ornate Hawk-Eagle frequently intersperses rapid, shallow “butterfly-like” wingbeats as it circles low over the canopy and these display flaps seem often to be performed during each bout of calling. Black Hawk-Eagle also is more vocal, although Ornate similarly delivers its whistling calls while circling over the canopy.

At a Guatemala nest, the female aggressively defended the nest against humans climbing to a blind near the nest, almost striking them; interestingly, the male did not defend the nest under similar circumstances when incubating (Lyon and Kilham 1985). In two encounters with spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus), the female vigorously defended the nest on the first encounter, swooping on them, but on the second encounter the female remained on the nest. When the egg was near hatching, the female responded to the presence of soaring raptors and vultures by raising her crest, mantling the egg, and calling loudly (more intensely depending on the proximity of the raptor). In Oaxaca, where the female had been collected before the nest was discovered, the male actively defended the nest against a climber (Lyon and Kilham 1985). In Manaus, Brazil, the female was not as strongly territorial and did not react to workers with chainsaws within 38 m of the nest or to nearby macaws; she did call when Greater Yellow-headed Vultures (Cathartes melambrotus) passed by, but otherwise did not show signs of nest defense (Klein et al. 1988).

Little information on mating system. Howell and Webb (1995) describe the flight display as a climb with deep floppy wingbeats followed by a stoop with wings closed, almost somersaulting at times. A courtship maneuver described by Slud (1964) thus: "Calling in a very excited manner, the bird falls with folded wings, then opens them up at the bottom of the dip; sometimes it completes a perfect loop." A display reported by ffrench (1991) involves the pair gliding in tight circles, the male approaching the female from above and behind, as the female rolls to her back and they engage in talon grabbing, occasionally touching.

No information on extra-pair copulations.

Solitary, except when breeding; young remain dependent on the parents for many months after fledging.

No information.