Black hawk-eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus) identified by DNA from a feather recovered in the rain-forest region of Veracruz

We document the occurrence of a black hawk-eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus) in tropical rain forest in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, Mexico, based on two sequence fragments of mitochondrial genes—cytochrome c oxidase I (DNA barcode) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase 2—taken from a feather recovered from the field. This record is significant because it documents the occurrence of the species in an area with few reliable reports of its occurrence and illustrates the use of genetic identification to confirm the presence of a species in an area. Given that the black hawk-eagle is considered endangered in Mexico, the presence of this species in a natural area is important information relative to conservation efforts.