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Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
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About the Swainson's Hawk
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. Their breeding habitat is prairie and dry grasslands in western North America. They build a stick nest in a tree or shrub or on a cliff edge.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Buteo swainsoni
- Family
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Order
- Accipitriformes
Similar species
Other members of the hawks, eagles, and kites family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- American Goshawk Astur atricapillus
- Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Bicolored Hawk Astur bicolor
- Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus
- Black Kite Milvus migrans
- Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus melanoleucus
- Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis
- Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
- Chinese Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza soloensis
- Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
- Cooper's Hawk Astur cooperii
- Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens
Know when the Swainson's Hawk turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Swainson's Hawk
Optics
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Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
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