Breeding

In Peten, Guatemala, courtship has been observed starting in February, with the first eggs laid in March (middle of the dry season), and fledging at the beginning of the rainy season. In Panama and Trinidad, nesting begins in March. They build a platform stick nest, 50-90 cm wide, in a tall tree, occasionally on bromeliads. One egg is laid, with incubation lasting 34-36 days. One young fledged at 88 days. As in other neotropical raptors, there may be an extended dependency period of fledged birds, evidenced by one record of a fully-fledged immature bird seen begging at a nest. This long dependency period results in breeding only every other year following a successful nesting effort. A breeding adult male used a territory of 208 ha; a non-breeding bird used a home range of 46 ha.