English             -             Savanna Hawk

Portuguese     -              Gavião-caboclo

Latin                -              Buteogallus meridionalis

Birds of prey are my all time favourite animal to photograph. The Savanna Hawk is quite an easy bird to photograph as they are a wide spread species. I photographed it in 2 different locations. In the Pantanal and when I was staying at REGUA. (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) I found it easier though to photograph the Savanna Hawk in the Pantanal as you could get reasonably close to them. Around REGUA, they seemed to be a bit shy of humans. Photos 1 and 2 were taken around REGUA. (Photo No. 2 is of a Juvenile) Photo No 3 was taken in the heart of the Pantanal, along MS 184 and photo No 4 was taken in a field near the town of Miranda.

* The Savanna Hawk can get to lengths of up to 60 cm and weigh up to 1.07 kgs

* Both sexes are similar, but the female is larger than the male.

* They range from Panama, the Guyana and Trinidad,Colombia, Bolivia, Uruguay, Central Argentina and Brazil.

* Savanna Hawks frequent wooded and palm savannahs and swamps edges. Open country where it is often observed its prey.

* Savanna Hawks sometimes utters a shrill “keeeeeru” to communicate to each other.

* They are an opportunistic feeder. They feed on snakes, fish, lizards, frogs, small mammals, birds, large insects, caterpillars, grasshoppers, ants and spiders. 

* Females usually lays one or 2 eggs. Incubation lasts about 39 to 40 days. Young fledge about 45 to 50 days after hatching.

* The Savanna Hawk has an extremely large range and is thought to be increasing in numbers, therefore it is classified as a species of “least concerned”.