Swainson’s Hawk Images, Facts and Information:
Buteo swainsoni
- Swainson’s Hawks are large hawks with short tails, broad wings, reddish brown to gray upperparts and generally have light bellies. Their plumage varies and they can be seen in light morphs, intermediate morphs and dark morphs.
- Swainson’s Hawks are migratory, they spend the summer in western North America and the winter in South America. Swainson’s Hawks may migrate as far as 14,000 miles.
- Swainson’s Hawks prefer wide open habitat including grasslands, prairies, agricultural fields.
- Swainson’s Hawks eat grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies and small mammals including rabbits, voles, mice and gophers plus lizards and other birds.
- Swainson’s Hawks lay 2 to 4 eggs which hatch in 30 days. Both sexes incubate and they are monogamous.
- Swainson’s Hawks are also known as Grasshopper Hawks or Locust Hawks.
- A group of hawks can be called a “tower”, “knot”, “spiraling”, “stream” or “kettle” of hawks.
- Swainson’s Hawks can live to be over 23 years of age.
I hope that you enjoy viewing my Swainson’s Hawk photos.
Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk on a National Wildlife Refuge sign
Title: Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk on a National Wildlife Refuge sign
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 8/28/2022
Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk on a National Wildlife Refuge sign
Title: Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk on a National Wildlife Refuge sign
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 8/28/2022
Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk in lift off pose
Title: Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk in lift off pose
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 8/28/2022
Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk prepping to lift off
Title: Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk prepping to lift off
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 8/28/2022
Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk turning on a wooden post
Title: Dark morph Swainson’s Hawk turning on a wooden post
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 8/28/2022
Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk on a wooden post
Title: Adult dark morph Swainson’s Hawk on a wooden post
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 8/28/2022
Adult Swainson’s Hawk on a sagebrush perch
Title: Adult Swainson’s Hawk on a sagebrush perch
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/18/2021
Adult Swainson’s Hawk nestled into sage
Title: Adult Swainson’s Hawk nestled into sage
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/18/2021
Swainson’s Hawk perched in sage
Title: Swainson’s Hawk perched in sage
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/18/2021
Calling immature Swainson’s Hawk and wild sunflowers
Title: Calling immature Swainson’s Hawk and wild sunflowers
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 9/4/2019
Immature Swainson’s Hawk with wildflowers
Title: Immature Swainson’s Hawk with wildflowers
Location: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 9/4/2019
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk looking over its back
Title: Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk looking over its back
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 6/3/2018
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk perched on a rusty pole
Title: Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk perched on a rusty pole
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 6/3/2018
Female dark morph Swainson’s Hawk calling in grasses
Title: Female dark morph Swainson’s Hawk calling in grasses
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 5/4/2018
Intermediate morph Swainson’s Hawk in flight with mountains in the background
Title: Intermediate morph Swainson’s Hawk in flight with mountains in the background
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 4/18/2018
Swainson’s Hawk with feather damage to underwing coverts in flight
Title: Swainson’s Hawk with feather damage to underwing coverts in flight
Location: Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 7/13/2017 […]
Swainson’s Hawk with feather damage to the underwing coverts
Title: Swainson’s Hawk with feather damage to the underwing coverts
Location: Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 7/13/2017 […]
Staring Swainson’s Hawk
Title: Staring Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 5/22/2017
Glaring Swainson’s Hawk
Title: Glaring Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 5/22/2017
Swainson’s Hawk giving me the stink eye
Title: Swainson’s Hawk giving me the stink eye
Location: Box Elder County, Utah
Date: 5/22/2017