In the U.S., it is difficult to spot a Common Black Hawk unless you are in a remote wooded area near a large stream or river canyon in the southwest. In Mexico and Central America, it is very common to sight this species of hawk that heavily populates mangrove forests, coastal lowlands, freshwater swamps, and marshes. They prefer undisturbed areas and will relocate if land development nears their territory. In New Mexico, along the Gila River Basin, there have been many sightings of the Common Black Hawk. It also has been found in lowland areas of San Francisco and the Rio Grande.