The Crane Hawk is found from Mexico through to northern Argentina. It is very adaptable with regard to habitat and is found in most types of forest, woodland and even savannah if there are nearby trees. It is restricted to lowlands and is often near water.
In flight it shows a small head, a long tail and broad, rounded wings with long primaries. It has a rather ponderous flight action with a few beats being followed by a glide while it often circles above the forest.
It feeds on a wide variety of prey including frogs, lizards, snakes, nestlings, insects and spiders. It uses its long, double-jointed legs to reach into nest-holes and bromeliads to pick out its prey.
There are illustrations in HBW, Volume 2, Page 166; Hilty & Brown, Plates III and 4; Ridgely & Greenfield, Plate 16 and Raptors of the World, Plate 54.
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