Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernVertebrates

GrasslandPlatform nestLarge · 947 g

What the Swainson's Hawk sounds like

Sonogram of the Swainson's Hawk: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Diana Doyle · Begging call, call · Hereford, Cochise County, Arizona, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Swainson's hawk is a raptor and a medium-sized member of the genus Buteo. It broadly overlaps in size with the red-tailed hawk (B. jamaicensis), a related species found as a breeding resident almost throughout North America. Swainson's hawk is on average a little shorter in length, 43–56 cm (17–22 in) long, and weighs a bit less, 0.5–1.7 kg (1.1–3.7 lb). However, Swainson's hawk has a slightly longer wingspan at 117–137 cm (46–54 in), with more slender, elongated wings, than the red-tailed hawk. Female Swainson's hawks, at an average weight of 1.15 kg (2.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Swainson's Hawk

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Swainson's Hawk

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 20 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Canada Mexico Costa Rica Panama Colombia Argentina El Salvador Guatemala Nicaragua Honduras Uruguay Belize Bolivia Ecuador Brazil Venezuela Paraguay Cuba Aruba

Recorded as a rare visitor in Peru, Chile.

About the Swainson's Hawk

Swainson's hawk is a large bird species in the Accipitriformes order. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist. It is colloquially known as the grasshopper hawk or locust hawk, as it is very fond of Acrididae and will voraciously eat these insects whenever they are available.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopusThis fairly large raptorial species is 46–68 cm (18–27 in) with wingspan ranging from 120 to 153 cm (47 to 60 in).

Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusThe broad-winged hawk is a relatively small Buteo, with a body size from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and weighing 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz).

Grey-lined HawkButeo nitidusThe gray-lined hawk is 46–61 cm (18–24 in) in length and weighs 475 g (16.8 oz) average.

Side by side: Broad-winged Hawk vs Swainson's Hawk · Rough-legged Buzzard vs Swainson's Hawk · Roadside Hawk vs Swainson's Hawk · Grey-lined Hawk vs Swainson's Hawk

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