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Crane Hawk - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 00:49, 14 April 2011 by Njlarsen (talk | contribs) (taxonomy and refs)
Photo by Rogerio Araújo Dias
Serra da Mesa, Goias, Brazil
Geranospiza caerulescens

Identification

  • Grey underparts with fine white bars
  • Grey above
  • Grey head
  • Black and white barred, white tipped tail
  • Long orange legs and feet
  • Black talons
  • Grey hooked bill

Distribution

Central and South America: found from northern Mexico to northern Argentina and Brazil.

Accidental to the United States with one record at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies[1]:

  • G. c. livens:
  • G. c. nigra:
  • Northern Mexico to central Panama
  • G. c. balzarensis:
  • G. c. caerulescens:
  • G. c. gracilis:
  • North-eastern Brazil (Maranhão, Ceará and Piauí to Bahia)
  • G. c. flexipes:

The subspecies are sometimes divided into three groups: the first three, no 4, and the remaining two. These three forms have historically been viewed as different species but are reported to intergrade.

Habitat

Wetlands, rainforest, Woodland and even savannah if there are nearby trees. It is restricted to lowlands and is often near water.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes insects, frogs, spiders, lizards, and snakes.

References

  1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
  2. Wikipedia
  3. Arthur Grosset
  4. SACC baseline read April 2011

Recommended Citation

External Links

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