Crane Hawk
Geranospiza caerulescens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusGeranospiza
- SpeciesGeranospiza caerulescens (Crane Hawk)
About the Crane Hawk
The crane hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens) is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only species placed in the genus Geranospiza. The crane hawk used to be many species that were recently lumped into one. Those species are now designated as subspecies. Color varies clinally, though, and it is now commonly accepted that they comprise one species. There are also two species of harrier-hawks in Africa of the genus Polyboroides that, while they are morphologically and behaviorally similar, are not very closely related. They serve as a good example of convergent evolution.
Six subspecies are recognised: G. c. livens Bangs & Penard, TE, 1921 – northwest Mexico G. c. nigra (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1847) – Mexico to central Panama G. c. balzarensis Sclater, WL, 1918 – east Panama to northwest Peru
G. c. caerulescens (Vieillot, 1817) – east Colombia to the Guianas to east Peru and Amazonian Brazil G. c. gracilis (Temminck, 1821) – northeast Brazil G. c. flexipes Peters, JL, 1935 – south Brazil to Paraguay, Bolivia, north Argentina and Uruguay
Crane hawks occur in tropical lowlands at the edge of forests and are almost always... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Plumbeous Kite
Ictinia plumbea
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus ornatus
Double-toothed Kite
Harpagus bidentatus
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
White Hawk
Leucopternis albicollis
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Hook-billed Kite
Chondrohierax uncinatus
Gray-lined Hawk
Buteo nitidus
Black Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus tyrannus
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Crane Hawk in Tikal National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Crane Hawk sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Crane Hawk in Tikal National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Crane Hawk in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.