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.

[3] Six subspecies are recognised:[4] Crane hawks occur in tropical lowlands at the edge of forests and are almost always closely associated with water.

It is found in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

However, they are notable for having “double-jointed” tarsal bones, allowing them to reach into tree cavities and extract prey, a trait they share with the genus of African harrier-hawks Polyboroides.

[3][5][6][page needed] During breeding, nests are built in tree canopies, often in clumps of orchids or other epiphytes.