- 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:
- North-western Mexico
- 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
- 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
- Wikipedia
- Arthur Grosset
- SACC baseline read April 2011
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Crane Hawk. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 June 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Crane_Hawk


