Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks
Swainson’s Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks (Accipitridae)
- Order
- Accipitriformes
Overview
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.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Western North America; winters to northern Argentina, southern Brazil, and Paraguay.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Swainson's hawk
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
