broadwinged hawk (Buteo platypterus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION:

• Length: 13 inches Wingspan: 33 inches

• Sexes similar

• Short, dark, hooked beak

• Medium-sized, broad-winged, broad-tailed hawk

• Short, broad wings somewhat pointed at the tip

Light morph adult:

• Dark brown head, nape, upperwing, and back

• Pale breast with thick, reddish bars to belly

• Pale underwing with thick black margin to trailing edge

• Thick black and white bands on tail of even width

Light morph immature:

• Dark brown head, back, and upperwing

• Pale breast streaked with black

• Pale underwing with indistinct, broad, black trailing edge

• Tail dark brown above and pale below with dark bands

Dark morph adult:

• Rare breeder in Alberta and rare migrant in West and Midwest

• Dark chocolate brown head, back, breast, upperwings, belly, and          under wing coverts

• Black and white bands on tail of even width

• Pale silvery flight feathers below are barred with black

• Broad, black trailing edge to wings

Dark morph immature:

• Dark chocolate brown head, back, upperwings, breast, belly, and         under tail coverts often with paler rufous and white streaks

• Tail dark above and pale below with narrow dark bands

• Pale silvery flight feathers with some barring and often a pale, rectan-        gular window in the outer wing

• Indistinct dark margin to trailing edge of wing

Similar species:

Red-shouldered hawk is similar in adult plumage but has reddish
shoulders, a pale crescent in the wings, lacks the distinct black border
to the trailing edge of the wing, and the white bands on the tail are
much narrower than the black bands. Immatures can be distinguished
by shape and crescent-shaped pale window in outer primaries. Dark
morph Swainson's hawk has pale undertail coverts. Other dark buteos
are much larger with much broader wings (red-tailed, rough-legged,
and ferruginous). Immature dark morph short-tailed hawk has darker
secondaries that contrast with the pale primaries and does not overlap
with the range of the dark morph broad-winged hawk.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status: Neotropical migrant
Breeding Habitat: Woodland
Nest Location: N/A
Nest Type: N/A
Clutch Size: 2-3
Length of Incubation: 28-32 days
Days to Fledge: 35
Number of Broods: 1
Diet: Primarily small mammals; lesser quantities of reptiles or
   amphibians, birds, insects

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May R
      Su - Summer: June, July, August O
      Fall: September, October, November U

      Winter: December, January, February

 

 

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