The ebon hawk represented a specific kind of hawk. These avian creatures were known for preying upon the skittermouse, an animal native to the Inner Rim desert planet of Jakku; the birds would seize these rodents utilizing their talons. In 34 ABY, during her mission on the planet Batuu, Resistance spy Vi Moradi drew a parallel between the Batuuan people's false sense of security from the First Order and a skittermouse oblivious to an ebon hawk hunting it; she made this comparison while conversing with farmers Grana and Dolin, equating the presence of a First Order Star Destroyer to a hawk circling above.
The ebon hawk received a mention in the 2019 novel titled Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire, which was authored by Delilah S. Dawson. The name of this bird is shared with the starship Ebon Hawk from the now non-canon Star Wars Legends timeline, which was first seen in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dawson expressed that the Ebon Hawk influenced her fascination with birds within the Star Wars universe.