Swainson’s Hawk

(Buteo Swainsoni). 

Date of admission: July 2, 2025. Patient Number 25-1053.
Reason for admission: Orphaned, Fell from nest.

Patient History:

Swainson’s hawks get their names from a British Ornithologist and artist named William Swainson. Swainson is known for his illustrations of birds and his written works in the realm of natural history. Though Swainson originally thought this hawk was a subspecies of the common buzzard, Charles Lucien Bonaparte later correctly identified it as a separate species, and named it “Swainson's Hawk” in William Swainson’s honour.

Swainsons are social hawks, so they’re often seen travelling together in flocks called “kettles,” especially during the migration season. When that time of year comes around, they leave their breeding grounds from August to October in preparation for a long journey. Swainsons have one of the longest migratory patterns of the American hawk, as they fly almost 10,000 kilometers one way to their respective winter habitat. For Swainson’s hawks, this will be parts of South America, including Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Mexico, and along the Pacific coast of Central America. Though Swainson’s hawks spend most of their summers in Canada, 73% of their breeding is carried out in the US.

Swainson’s hawks are thought to be monogamous and value routine as they return to their same nesting sites every year. High mate fidelity like this is relatively uncommon in species that have such long migratory patterns, making it unique to the Swainson's. Swainson’s hawks typically nest in open areas like grasslands and agricultural spaces, and while they prefer to build their nests in trees, some also place them on power poles and even cliffs. The males will continue to help care for the fledglings until they are ready to migrate. Swainson’s hawks have excellent eyesight, allowing them to scan large areas during flight and prey on small ground mammals this way. To add to the variety in their diet, Swainson’s hawks also engage in hunting insects, which is done by standing on the ground and scanning for them.

This Swainson’s hawk was orphaned and fell out of its nest at 20 feet in the air during a windstorm in Southeast Calgary.

It was not able to be safely returned to the nest, so the finder was kind enough to drive it directly to AIWC. After a thorough examination from our clinic staff, it turned out this little one was clinically healthy—yay!—and just needed to stay with us until they were big enough to be on their own. They’re eating well, which is a good sign that they’re on track to a healthy release! Thank you for supporting their care.