The Grey Hawk Buteo nitidus is a smallish raptor found in open country and forest edges. It is sometimes placed in the genus Asturina as Asturina nitid. It breeds from the southwestern USA and Mexico south to Bolivia, Brazil and central Argentina. It is fairly common on Trinidad, and there have been recent sightings on Tobago.

Open woodland, pasturelands, and generally open country with scattered trees, primarily in arid situations (Tropical and Subtropical zones). In U.S. usually found in riparian woodlands near open areas. Common in hedgerows between crop fields in wintering areas in Mexico.

The nest is of sticks and built high in a tree. The usual clutch is one to three, usually two white eggs, pale blue with red markings. The young take about 6 weeks to fledging.

The grey Hawk feeds mainly on lizards and snakes, but will also take small mammals, birds and frogs. It usually sits on an open high perch from which it swoops on its prey, but will also hunt from a low glide. The call is a shrill whistled kleee-ooo.

This species has an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 20,000-50,000 km². The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as 'frequent' in at least parts of its range (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Sedentary in most of its range, Northern populations migratory.