The Slate-colored Hawk is a medium-sized, gray raptor of Amazonian forests. It resembles the closely-related Plumbeous Hawk (Leucopternis plumbeus) of the lowlands west of the Andes, but is larger and has dark rather than white underwing coverts. Both share overall slate-gray plumage, a single white subterminal tail band, an orange cere, and orange legs. The Slate-colored occurs in forest, often near water, and including gallery forest and mangroves. It appears to be a generalist forager, with recorded prey items including snakes, frogs, small monkeys, and birds. It is a sit-and-wait predator, and easily is overlooked when sitting at a favored perch within the forest. It is found through much of the Amazon basin as well as the upper Orinoco drainage in Venezuela and Colombia.