The black-and-white hawk-eagle is hard to confuse with any other bird in its range with the exception of juvenile Grey-headed Kites. These birds are known to mimic several species of hawk-eagles. The black-faced hawk ("Leucopternis melanops") is very similar in overall coloration, but it is much smaller and has a black tail with a single bold white bar in the middle. The ornate hawk-eagle ("Spizaetus ornatus"), presumably a very close relative of "S. melanoleucus", looks quite similar when young. However, the wings, back and tail are much lighter in young "S. ornatus", and they do not have the black eye-ring.