The broad-winged hawk is the smallest buteo in North America, but it makes one of the biggest impressions during migration when birders can see thousands of hawks migrating simultaneously in tremendous flocks.
Common Name:
Broad-Winged Hawk
Scientific Name:
Buteo platypterus
Appearance:
- Bill: Thick, hooked, yellow cere
- Size: 14-18 inches long with 34-38-inch wingspan, compact body
- Colors: Brown, white, black, rufous
- Markings: Genders are similar with dark brown upperparts and a white chest and abdomen with heavy rufous barring. The chin is white but may show some streaking, particularly in juvenile birds. The tail has thick black and white bands and a rounded tip. In flight, the pointed but even width wings are mostly pale with a dark border from the primary tips through the trailing edge. A dark morph broad-tailed hawk occurs in northern populations but is rare.
Foods:
Large insects, amphibians, small mammals, small birds, reptiles
Habitat and Migration:
Broad-winged hawks are summer birds of prey throughout the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, though the birds’ summer range does not include peninsular Florida or the southeastern Atlantic coast. These birds prefer deciduous and mixed forests, and they can often be seen perching near roadways and field edges. During the winter, broad-winged hawks migrate to Central American and South America as far as western Brazil and northern Bolivia. Year-round populations can be found in the Caribbean, especially Cuba.
Vocalizations:
Like all birds of prey, broad-winged hawks do not have a wide variety of calls. Their typical call is a high, thin “kee-keeeeeeee” whistle that lasts 2-4 seconds, with the first syllable slightly higher pitched than the end whistle.
Behavior:
These are relatively even-tempered birds of prey and can become quite used to humans. They will perch on poles and wires near roadways while scanning for prey, and in forested habitat they perch in trees while hunting. During migration, they can assemble in flocks of 10,000 or more birds, often including small numbers of other migrating raptors. The heaviest migration corridors occur along mountain ridges where the daily thermals are an efficient means of flight.
Reproduction:
Broad-winged hawks are monogamous birds and both parents will incubate a single brood of 2-4 eggs annually for a total of 28-32 days. The semialtricial young are fed by both parents for an additional 30-35 days until their first flight.
Attracting Broad-Winged Hawks:
These are not backyard birds and while they can be solitary and secretive throughout most of the year, they are easily spotted during fall migration. Before conservation measures were initiated, broad-winged hawks were shot by the hundreds in their thick migration flocks, but today they are a protected species, like all migratory birds. Habitat conservation is the key to attracting these birds to remain in their traditional ranges.
Similar Birds:
- Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
- Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
- Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Photo – Broad-Winged Hawk © Nick Saunders
Photo – Broad-Winged Hawk in Flight © leppyone
Photo – Broad-Winged Hawk Migration Flock © Ben Van Allen
