Bird Gallery Index

Swainson's Hawk image © Joseph Kennedy

Family: (Accipitridae) Hawks and Allies

Preferred Habitat: Open country and grasslands.

Seasonal Occurrence: Most common spring and fall. Rare in winter. Small numbers nest in our area.

Notes: The many plumage variations found in Swainson's Hawks can be confusing. Most Swainson's display a dark-brown bib; underparts can be light or dark. Named morphs include light and dark, but there are also intermediate variations. In flight, the wings of Swainson's Hawks seem longer and more pointed than other buteos. Swainson's Hawks may be found within Houston's city limits and have also nested within the city limits. They are particularly common during the fall. John Arvin, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Research Coordinator, who oversees the Smith Point Hawk Watch, reports that "early in the season significant numbers of Swainson’s Hawks are drifting southward individually, rather than in kettles as later in the season."
- Susan Billetdeaux