Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Swainson’s Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) — Birds of Prey of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 947 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Buteo
- Species swainsoni
Where it lives
Southwestern Canada, western USA and northern Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 947 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Swainson’s Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Swainson’s Hawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw Canada, w USA and n Mexico.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 947 g, with a wing length of about 38.4 cm and a tail of around 19.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Swainson’s Hawk?
The Swainson’s Hawk is a very large bird that weighs around 947 g.
Where does the Swainson’s Hawk live?
The Swainson’s Hawk is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw Canada, w USA and n Mexico, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Swainson’s Hawk belong to?
The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Swainson’s Hawk eat?
The Swainson’s Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Swainson’s Hawk migrate?
The Swainson’s Hawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Swainson’s Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Swainson’s Hawk make?
1 real field recording of the Swainson’s Hawk — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Swainson’s Hawk's range?
The Swainson’s Hawk has a mapped global range of about 4.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Guides for this bird
Red-tailed Hawk vs Swainson’s Hawk: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Red-tailed Hawk from a Swainson’s Hawk — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.