Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni Bonaparte, 1838
43–56 cmLength947 gWeight
Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a large bird species in the Accipitriformes order.
Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Swainson's Hawk has been recorded at 718 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 21 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Willcox – Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf CourseUnited States4,305 records
- Putah Creek Riparian ReserveUnited States4,177 records
- Calgary – Inglewood Bird SanctuaryCanada3,685 records
More places
- Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWRUnited States2,745 records
- Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States2,543 records
- Yolo Bypass Wildlife AreaUnited States2,352 records
- Chichicaxtle – Observatorio de Aves Rapaces Dr. Mario A. RamosMexico2,345 records
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)United States2,315 records
- Hotel BienvenidoMexico2,239 records
- Sierra Vista EOPUnited States2,125 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a large bird species in the Accipitriformes order. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist. It is colloquially known as the grasshopper hawk or locust hawk, as it is very fond of Acrididae (locusts and grasshoppers) and will voraciously eat these insects whenever they are available.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Swainson's Hawk?
The Swainson's Hawk is about 43–56 cm long and weighs around 947 g.
Where does the Swainson's Hawk live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: southwestern Canada, western USA and northern Mexico. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the Swainson's Hawk?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Swainson's Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Swainson's Hawk as Least Concern.
What does the Swainson's Hawk eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Swainson's Hawk in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 43–56 cm
- Weight
- 947 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 384 mm
- Tail
- 194 mm
- Bill
- 35 mm
- Tarsus
- 61 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America: southwestern Canada, western USA and northern Mexico
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Buteo
Other birds in the genus Buteo
Grey HawkButeo plagiatus
Grey-lined HawkButeo nitidus
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
Ridgway's HawkButeo ridgwayi
Zone-tailed HawkButeo albonotatus
Hawaiian HawkButeo solitarius
White-throated HawkButeo albigula
Short-tailed HawkButeo brachyurus
Galapagos HawkButeo galapagoensis
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
Rufous-tailed HawkButeo ventralis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Jef-B. ↗
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