The Crane Hawks (Geranospiza caerulescens) is a bird of prey of the harrier subfamily.
Distribution / Range
The Crane Hawk’s range stretches from Mexico through to northern Argentina, Specifically, the countries where it is found include Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Its favored habitats include most types of forests, woodland, and even savannah areas, provided there are nearby trees. It is restricted to lowlands and is often found near water.
Description
The Crane Hawk is mostly grey with a black tail showing two whitish bands and white tips. In flight, it shows a small head, a long tail, and broad, rounded wings with long primary wing feathers.
The long orange-red legs of the Crane Hawk are striking, and make identification easy in those areas where there are no raptors with similar legs.
Its flight action usually consists of a few beats followed by a glide.
Diet / Feeding
The Crane Hawk is omnivorous; it feeds on a wide variety of prey including frogs, lizards, snakes, nestlings, insects, and spiders.
Its ability to climb, using wings as well as feet, and its long double-jointed legs, enables this bird of prey to raid bird nests in bird cavities for fledglings.
Species Research by Sibylle Johnson
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