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.
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk lifting off
Title: Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk lifting off
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 6/7/2013
Regal looking Centennial Valley adult Swainson’s Hawk
Title: Regal looking Centennial Valley adult Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 6/7/2013
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley
Title: Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 6/7/2013
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk
Title: A sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 6/7/2013
Adult Swainson’s in flight in Fremont County, Idaho
Title: Adult Swainson’s in flight in Fremont County, Idaho
Location: Fremont County, Idaho
Date: 6/6/2013
Swainson’s Hawk – Squat and push lift off
Title: Swainson’s Hawk – Squat and push lift off
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 6/4/2013
Swainson’s Hawk just after lift off on Antelope Island
Title: Swainson’s Hawk just after lift off on Antelope Island
Location: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah
Date: 4/29/2013
Immature Swainson’s Hawk near the Red Rock River
Title: Immature Swainson’s Hawk near the Red Rock River
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Pellet that the juvie Swainson’s Hawk expelled
Title: Pellet that the juvie Swainson’s Hawk expelled
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Swainson’s Hawk wing lift after expelling pellet
Title: Swainson’s Hawk wing lift after expelling pellet
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet 3
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet 3
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet 2
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet 2
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet 1
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk expelling a pellet 1
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk light morph at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk light morph at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in flight in Beaverhead County
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in flight in Beaverhead County
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk pooping
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk pooping
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley
Title: Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Adult Swainson’s Hawk calling
Title: Adult Swainson’s Hawk calling
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Swainson’s Hawk juvenile, intermediate morph
Title: Swainson’s Hawk juvenile, intermediate morph
Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012
Two Swainson’s Hawk chicks on their nest tree
Title: Two Swainson’s Hawk chicks on their nest tree
Location: Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana
Date: 8/22/2012