Swainson's Hawk Identification

Adult light morph

Distinctively long-winged large hawk with pointed wingtips. Usually soars with wings slightly raised (dihedral). Light morph adults have dark flight feathers creating a broad, dark trailing edge to the wing. Also note the brown upper breast, creating a hooded appearance.

Adult light morph

Note the distinctive long-winged shape with pointed wingtips—especially pronounced when the bird is gliding with wingtips swept back, giving an M-shape to the wings.

Adult light morph

A large hawk of the open country of western North America. Most individuals have a light belly, dark or reddish-brown chest, and brown or gray upperparts. Most males have gray heads, while females tend to have brown heads.

Adult dark morph

Dark-morph Swainson's Hawks can vary from reddish-brown to uniform dark brown, but they usually have a rufous tone to the underwing coverts and pale undertail coverts, as shown here.

Adult dark morph

Dark-morph adults usually have a two-toned appearance from beneath created by paler underwing coverts and darker flight feathers, similar to but less pronounced than the pattern of light-morph adults. Note the long wings with somewhat pointed tips.

Adult light morph

Large hawk with long, relatively slender wings with pointed tips. Typically soars with wings slightly raised (known as "dihedral"), often teetering in the wind.

Adult light morph

Large hawk with long wings. Head and upper breast are brown, creating a hooded appearance. Tail has narrow dark bands, with a broader dark band at the tip.

Adult light morph

Breeding pairs are solitary, but otherwise this is a highly social species, forming foraging flocks of 100+ birds and migratory groups in the thousands.

Adult light morph

Large hawk of open country. Note brown head and breast, with unmarked white belly.

Adult light morph

One of the world's most variable hawk species, with a complete continuum of plumages from light to dark.

Adult dark morph

Often perches on fence posts and utility poles in wide-open spaces of western North America.

Adult dark morph

Hunts in open country; eats mostly mammals such as ground squirrels on breeding grounds.

Adult dark morph

Dark morph birds can range from reddish brown to fully dark brown, but usually have some rufous tones to the plumage. Note long wings.

Juvenile dark morph

Dark-morph immatures can be quite variable in degree of darkness, but usually have some buffy streaking on the body and show pale undertail coverts.

Juvenile light morph

Light-morph immatures are mottled brown above, with pale edges to the wing coverts, and have variable dark streaking on the breast. The head is often pale from bleaching.

Juvenile

Young Swainson's Hawks have pale edges to the upperwing coverts creating a scalloped appearance.

Juvenile dark morph

Dark-morph juveniles are variable but usually show buffy streaking on the body and often have pale head from bleaching. Note the distinctive long-winged shape.

Juvenile light morph

Often has brown streaks on the chest but may also show brown upper breast and dark flight feathers, like an adult. Juveniles have a narrower, less distinct terminal tail band than adults.

Habitat

Breeds in open country with occasional trees, including grasslands, croplands, pastures, hayfields, and sage flats.

See more images of this species in Macaulay Library

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The Four Keys to ID

Size & Shape
Swainson’s Hawks are buteos, meaning they are large hawks with fairly broad wings and short tails. However, Swainson’s Hawks are less hefty than many other buteos. They are slimmer and longer-winged, with their wings typically held in a shallow V when soaring.
Relative Size
Larger than a Cooper’s Hawk; smaller than a Ferruginous Hawk.
between crow and goose
Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 18.9-22.1 in (48-56 cm)
Weight: 24.4-48.2 oz (693-1367 g)
© Steven Mlodinow / Macaulay Library
Color Pattern
Though they can be quite variable, most Swainson’s Hawks are light-bellied birds with a dark or reddish-brown chest and brown or gray upperparts. They have distinctive underwings with white wing linings that contrast strongly with blackish flight feathers. Most males have gray heads; females tend to have brown heads. Dark individuals also occur; these vary from reddish to nearly all black, with reduced contrast on the underwings.
© Malcolm Gold / Macaulay Library
Behavior
Habitat

Regional Differences

Nearly all Swainson’s Hawks breeding in the eastern half of the range (east of the Rocky Mountains) are light in appearance. Darker-plumaged birds are more common in the West, although still in the minority, accounting for upwards of 10 percent of individuals.

Relative Size

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 18.9-22.1 in (48-56 cm)
Weight: 24.4-48.2 oz (693-1367 g)

Species in This Family

More to Read

Swainson's Hawk Photos and Videos

Adult light morph

Adult light morph

Adult light morph

Adult dark morph

Adult dark morph

Adult light morph

Adult light morph

Adult light morph

Adult light morph

Adult light morph

Adult dark morph

Adult dark morph

Adult dark morph

Juvenile dark morph

Juvenile light morph

Juvenile

Juvenile dark morph

Juvenile light morph

Habitat

Compare with Similar Species

Looking for ID Help?

The Four Keys to ID

Relative Size

MeasurementsBoth SexesLength: 18.9-22.1 in (48-56 cm)Weight: 24.4-48.2 oz (693-1367 g)

Regional Differences

Regional Photos

Species in This Family

More to Read

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 18.9-22.1 in (48-56 cm)
Weight: 24.4-48.2 oz (693-1367 g)