Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) lives in temperate Forest across Southeastern North America. It feeds on small mammals insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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Kettles of more than 40 up to several thousand broad-winged hawks fill the sky, soaring at 550-1,300 m while riding thermals on a 3,000-6,000 km journey. Their fall migration stretches over 70 days, with birds covering about 100 km each day, creating spectacular spectacles at sites like Hawk Ridge and the River of Raptors. This massive, coordinated travel shows how the species exploits rising air currents to cross continents with minimal energy, linking breeding forests of North America to winter homes in the Neotropics.
A broad-winged hawk measures 32-44 cm in length, weighs 265-560 g and spans 74-100 cm across the wings, yet females tip the scales, being about 22 % heavier than males. The modest body size combined with a relatively short, broad wing shape gives the bird a distinctive tapered silhouette.
Broad-winged hawks lay 1-4 eggs, each about 49 × 39 mm and weighing 42 g, and the female incubates them for at least 28 days. Young fledge after 5-6 weeks but may linger near the nest for weeks longer. Birds reach sexual maturity at roughly two years.
Overall numbers of broad-winged hawks are rising, yet forest fragmentation is causing declines in parts of their breeding range. They favor dense deciduous or mixed forests up to 2,000 m elevation, nesting in tree crotches and hunting over wetlands and meadows.
In the wild, broad-winged hawks live on average 12 years, but the longest-recorded individual survived at least 14 years and 4 months.
Sources
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As the sun rises over the forest canopy, a Broad-winged Hawk takes to the skies, its broad wings beating in a slow, powerful rhythm that carries it effortlessly on the thermal currents, a master of the wind and the trees. With eyes that scan the landscape below, this bird of prey navigates the world with a silent precision, its wings tucked in as it dives and swoops through the shadows in pursuit of its next meal. Its annual migrations, a testament to its remarkable endurance, take it thousands of miles between its summer and winter habitats, a true marvel of nature's ingenuity.
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