Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
The Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a common kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 22 countries, weighing about 947 g. Swainson's hawk is a large bird species in the Accipitriformes order.
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.
How to identify it
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.
What the Swainson's Hawk sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Swainson's Hawk?
- Swainson's hawk is a raptor and a medium-sized member of the genus Buteo. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Swainson's Hawk?
- The Swainson's Hawk is a large sized bird weighing about 947 g.
- Where can you see a Swainson's Hawk?
- The Swainson's Hawk occurs in 22 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.
- What does a Swainson's Hawk sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Swainson's Hawk on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Swainson's Hawk?
- The Swainson's Hawk is most easily confused with the Rough-legged Buzzard, the Broad-winged Hawk and the Grey-lined Hawk.
- Is the Swainson's Hawk endangered?
- The Swainson's Hawk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Swainson's Hawk for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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