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.
Swainson’s Hawk juvenile in low light
Title: Swainson’s Hawk juvenile in low light
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/11/2014
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk perched near a nest box
Title: Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk perched near a nest box
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/10/2014
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in low light
Title: Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in low light
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/10/2014
Immature Swainson’s Hawk with an eye on the sky
Title: Immature Swainson’s Hawk with an eye on the sky
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Immature Swainson’s Hawk in a lift off pose
Title: Immature Swainson’s Hawk in a lift off pose
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Immature Swainson’s Hawk close up in low light
Title: Immature Swainson’s Hawk close up in low light
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Immature Swainson’s Hawk in flight after lifting off from a gravel road
Title: Immature Swainson’s Hawk in flight after lifting off from a gravel road
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Light morph juvenile Swainson’s Hawk perched on a post
Title: Light morph juvenile Swainson’s Hawk perched on a post
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Head on stare from a light morph juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
Title: Head on stare from a light morph juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, MT
Date: 9/9/2014
Light morph Swainson’s Hawk juvenile with its eyes on the sky
Title: Light morph Swainson’s Hawk juvenile with its eyes on the sky
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, MT
Date: 9/9/2014
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in flight
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in flight
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Rousing sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in Idaho
Title: Rousing sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in Idaho
Location: Clark County, Idaho
Date: 9/9/2014
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk at the edge of a storm
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk at the edge of a storm
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/9/2014
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk calling out to be fed
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk calling out to be fed
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/8/2014
Calling juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
Title: Calling juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/8/2014
Portrait of a Swainson’s Hawk light morph juvenile
Title: Portrait of a Swainson’s Hawk light morph juvenile
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/8/2014
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk portrait
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk portrait
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/8/2014
Portrait of a juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
Title: Portrait of a juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/8/2014
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk ground foraging
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk ground foraging
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/7/2014
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk running on the ground after prey
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk running on the ground after prey
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 9/7/2014