It breeds from Panama and Trinidad south to Bolivia, Uruguay and central Argentina.

[4] The adult has a rufous body with grey mottling above and fine black barring below.

[4] Immature birds are similar to the adults but have darker, duller upperparts, paler underparts with coarser barring, and a whitish supercilium.

[4] The savanna hawk feeds on small mammals, small birds, lizards, snakes, toads, frogs, eels, other fish, crabs, roots, spiders, and large insects (such as grasshoppers).

[5][6][7] It usually sits on an open high perch from which it swoops on its prey, but will also hunt on foot, and several birds may gather at grass fires.