Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) lives in open grasslands across North America. It feeds on insects & small mammals. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Swainson's Hawk
- Swainson's hawks fly farther than any North American raptor except the arctic-nesting peregrine, covering up to 7,100 mi (11,400 km) from their Canadian-US breeding grounds to the pampas of Argentina or southern Brazil. Each migration can last at least two months, demanding soaring on thermals and precise timing of wind direction. This extreme journey shows how the species links two continents.
- Young Swainson's hawks rarely stray far from their birthplace, but females disperse farther than males. In northern California females moved an average of 11.1 km while males averaged 8.3 km, whereas in the Canadian prairies the average natal dispersal jumped to 66.7 km with some birds traveling as far as 310 km. This sex-biased wandering helps avoid inbreeding.
- When swarming Mexican free-tailed bats pour from a cave, Swainson's hawks ignore individual silhouettes and instead lock onto a fixed point in space, keeping the bat on a constant bearing as they dive. High-speed 3-D video showed the hawk's line to the captured bat staying parallel, suggesting the predator sidesteps the "confusion effect" by targeting a stable spatial cue rather than a moving target. This tactic lets the hawk succeed where a chaotic swarm would normally thwart predators.
- Swainson's hawks are medium-sized Buteos, measuring 43-56 cm (17-22 in) in length with a wingspan of 117-137 cm (46-54 in), slightly longer than the red-tailed hawk despite being a bit lighter at 0.5-1.7 kg (1.1-3.7 lb). Females average 1.15 kg (2.5 lb) and males 0.81 kg (1.8 lb), showing clear sexual size dimorphism. In flight, Swainson's hawk holds its wings in a slight dihedral; it tips back and forth slightly while soaring.
- The longest-recorded wild Swainson's hawk lived 26 years 1 month, far surpassing the average lifespan of about 19.5 years reported for the species. Individuals at least 20 years have been documented in northern California.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatOpen grasslands
DietInsects & small mammals
About the Swainson's Hawk
As the sun rises over the open plains, the Swainson's Hawk stretches its broad wings, a master of the thermal currents that carry it effortlessly across the landscape. With a fluid, almost ethereal motion, it soars and glides, its piercing cry echoing through the air as it scans the ground below for the small mammals and reptiles that sustain it. In a majestic display of aerial prowess, this bird of prey rides the wind, a true monarch of the skies, its very existence a testament to the enduring power and beauty of the natural world.
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