Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles are medium-large raptors predominantly white with black wings, a white leading edge on the wing, a black short crest, a black patch around the eyes, and a gray-black barred tail. Some live year round in the southern tip and the Keys, with a breeding distribution in central Florida. The light phase is dark above and white below; the dark phase (more common in Florida) is black above and below except for the light bases of the primaries.
The Short-tailed Hawk is a small hawk of grass and woodland habitat in Florida and it occurs in two color morphs. Both phases have banded, black-and-white tail, yellow cere, and yellow legs and feet. As the black-and-white hawk-eagle has not been placed in Buteo since long, Article 59.3 of the ICZN Code applies. This species is one of the least studied birds in the U.S. so there isn’t a ton of information out there about this hawk, and few pictures on the internet. According to this, a junior homonym replaced before 1961 is not rendered permanently invalid (as junior homonyms usually are) if "the substitute name is not in use" – which has been the case after Amadon's 1963 revision. In flight it shows long pointed wings with black flight feathers and white wing linings. Has a 15-16 inch-long black tail with deep fork.
Swallow-tailed Kite: The largest of North America kites, has black upperparts which contrast with white head and underparts. They are difficult to mistake for any other bird except perhaps for some juvenile Gray-headed Kites. The Short-tailed Hawk is only found in Florida in North America, and is rarely seen even there. We found 1 possible Large (16 - 32 in) White Hawk-like birds in Florida: Swallow-tailed Kite.