This small hawk inhabits humid lowland forest from Central America into South America. Fine barring and a long banded tail mark its shape; it hunts small birds, including hummingbirds.
It is about 20–26.5 cm long. The upperparts are dark slate gray, the pale underside is finely barred, and the long tail has several gray bands.
It hunts birds in humid lowland forest, including hummingbirds and small passerines.
In Misiones, Argentina, it was recorded in primary forest as well as secondary forest, forest edges, regrowth on former farmland and forest remnants.
In primary forest in Misiones, birds were seen launching swift attacks from the middle vegetation layer toward lower levels.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.