The crane hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens) is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only species placed in the genusGeranospiza.[2]
Taxonomy
The crane hawk used to be many species that were recently[when?] 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.[3]
During breeding, nests are built in tree canopies, often in clumps of orchids or other epiphytes. The nest is a shallow cup of twigs, anywhere from 10–25 metres up in a tree. Clutches are usually 1-2 white-or-bluish-tinged eggs.[3]
Conservation
Nowhere is the crane hawk particularly common, but it is still widely distributed. However, it is considered threatened in Mexico, endangered in El Salvador, and at low risk in Argentina.[3]
^Persad, Amrit (2017). "Geranospiza caerulescens (Crane Hawk)"(PDF). The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago. The University of the West Indies. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
^Ferguson-Lees, J.; Christie, D.A. (2001). Raptors of the World. Helm Identification Guides. Illustrations by Franklin, K., Mead, D. & Burton, P. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN0618127623.