Species

Broad-winged hawk

Buteo platypterus

A compact forest hawk that migrates in huge swirling flocks, called kettles, riding thermals south in September.

Photo Bernard Gagnon (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (opens in a new tab)

Migration

At a glance

Size: About 34 to 44 cm long
Weight: About 265 to 560 g
Habitat: Large deciduous and mixed forests
Diet: Frogs, toads, snakes, rodents, insects and small birds
In Georgia: A summer resident in the north; common migrant in September
Voice: A high, thin whistle "peeeee"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Compact hawk; broad black-and-white bands on the tail; pale underwings with a dark border
Told apart from: Red-shouldered hawk, which has narrow white tail bands and rusty underparts
Where to look: Kettles of migrating hawks over ridges in mid to late September

Behaviour

Broad-winged hawks hunt from perches inside forests. In autumn they migrate in flocks of thousands, spiralling up on rising warm air and gliding south to Central and South America.

Why they matter

Broad-winged hawks make one of the most spectacular migrations of any North American raptor. They depend on large, unbroken forests for nesting, and their numbers help track the health of those forests.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A small platform of sticks in a tree
Eggs — Usually two or three
Incubation — About 28 to 31 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about five to six weeks
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Forest fragmentation reduces their nesting habitat.

Misconceptions

Hawks migrate alone. Broad-winged hawks migrate in huge flocks.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	In South America	In South America	In South America	Arriving in north Georgia	Nesting	Nesting	Chicks	Young flying	Peak migration	Last migrants	In South America	In South America

Where it lives

Recorded in 68 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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