Starting in late August and September, nearly the whole population of Swainson’s Hawks migrates from North America to Argentina, a roundtrip of more than 12,000 miles for the northernmost breeders. Swainson’s hawks nest across the western United States and Canada. Their winter migration is a spectacular sight as they migrate overland in vast flocks (kettles) that fill the skies. Schueck. (Peregrine Falcon migration map) In contrast, Swainson’s Hawks converged in eastern Mexico at the coast on the Gulf of Mexico. Swainson’s Hawk. 29 433-440. Although Swainson's Hawk is big enough to prey on rodents, snakes, and birds (and does so, while it is raising young), at most seasons it feeds heavily on large insects instead. Long-distance migrant. Other names: Black hawk, brown hawk, grasshopper hawk. Each autumn, nearly the entire breeding population of the Swainson's Hawk migrates from the temperate zone of North America to “wintering” areas in South America. Swainson's Hawk Hunting and Hovering as Farmer Mows Hay Field - Duration: 0:43. You can also see fairly large numbers in spring at the Santa … This slim and graceful hawk is a common sight over grasslands of the Great Plains and the west, but only in summer: every autumn, most individuals migrate to southern South America. 2008, Bechard et al. Named for William Swainson, an English ornithologist of the early 1800’s. The Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) breeding population in California's Central Valley (CV) is spatially disjunct from other populations that breed in open country in the rest of western and central North America (Hull et al. Southward, these hawks followed a narrow, well-defined path through Central America, … HOHvidguy 716 views. The Swainson’s Hawk Mitigation Program, amended by the Board of Supervisors in December of 2009, provides the following voluntary means for mitigation of impacts to Swainson’s Hawk foraging habitat: Projects with impacts less than 40 acres; Fee Option.
... Hawk Migration South Texas 2018 - Duration: 2:22. Research shows that Central Valley Swainson's Hawks generally migrate to Mexico, Central America, and a few to northern South America.
Habitat At a few select migration spots including Hazel Bazemore Park (Corpus Christi, Texas) and a few sites in Middle America (Veracruz, Mexico; Kèköldie, Costa Rica; and Panama City, Panama) you can reliably see very large numbers of them passing south in fall. 2:22. From prairie Canada, this migration is more than 10,000 km each way, a distance second among raptors only to that of the Arctic Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius). Peak Migration: Sept Record Daily High: 32 on Sept 9, 1988 Record Seasonal High: 33 in 1988. Routes and travel rates of migrating Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus and Swainson’s Hawks Buteo swainsoni in the Western Hemisphere. Hunting habits: Often hunts in flocks, for grasshoppers and crickets. Swainson’s Hawk Radiomarked for Satellite Telemetry (Swainson’s Hawk migration map) For details, see: Fuller, M.R., W.S. Language: English The breeding season extends from mid-February to August, based on egg dates from March 1 to July 3 and young in the nest as late as August 20. Migration. Flocks are often seen sitting on the ground in fields … If these are not Turkey Vultures, they are almost certainly Swainson's Hawks. Most of the world’s Swainson’s Hawks nest outside of California and migrate to Argentina each year. Swainson’s Hawks arrive in Texas from February through mid-June with most coming between late March and mid-May. During northward migration, Peregrines radio marked at Padre Island Texas, U.S.A. diverge for destinations from central Alaska, U.S.A. across the continent to west-central Greenland. From North America through Mexico and Central America to wintering grounds in Argentina, the hawk’s annual migration ranges from 11,000 to 17,000 miles. 1998. The migration path narrows as the birds move south and north, creating phenomenal hawk-watching opportunities at known migratory points in Texas, Mexico, and Central … J. Avain Biol. Seegar, and L.S.
This population is referred to as the Great Basin or Great Plains Swainson’s Hawk population.