Since it is readily visible throughout migrations, the Broad-winged Hawk is a favorite of birdwatchers. The Broad-winged Hawk, a species similar in size to the Red-tailed Hawk, is a widespread species found across eastern North America. Broad-winged Hawks have a number of fascinating facts.
FACTS ABOUT BROAD-WINGED HAWKS
1. DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS MIGRATE?
Broad-winged hawks do indeed migrate, as do other species. They’re found across much of North America during the breeding season. They breed and nest east of the Mississippi River, but they range west into British Columbia in Canada. Southern Mexico and Central America, as well as the southern tip of Florida, are their wintering grounds. In Cuba, there are non-migratory broad-winged hawks.
2. WHAT DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS LOOK LIKE?
They have large wings, as the name suggests. Backs and undersides are barred, and their tails are banded. Adults have a uniform dark brown color with a white band on the tail; however, there is a dark morph. These people are unusual in some way.
3. WHERE DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS LIVE?
Woodlands, particularly deciduous or mixed woods rather than coniferous woods, are preferred by broad-winged hawks. In comparison to falcons and eagles, whose longer wings are in proportion to their body size, they have small, broad wings that allow them to fly and maneuver among the trees more easily.
They will construct nests along clearings and around water bodies during the breeding season, far removed from human habitation.
4. WHEN DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS LAY THEIR EGGS?
Between April and August, Broad-winged hawks are in breeding season. Early in that season, around the beginning of April, the eggs will be laid, although exactly when each breeding pair does so will vary.
5. WHAT DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS EAT?
The most common food items for broad-winged hawks are small mammals, amphibians, and insects. The ways in which this species prepares its food are unique. Amphibians and reptiles take a long time to skin, whereas small mammals are often consumed in their entirety. Before they start eating, they carefully pluck all of the feathers from the birds they catch.
6. ARE BROAD-WINGED HAWKS ENDANGERED?
It is not the case at all. Broad-winged hawks are abundant and their population is increasing. Habitat loss is still a issue, however. Forests are required for broad-winged hawks to survive, and as cities and suburbs expand, these habitats are stressed. They don’t do as well in cities as other raptors, and vast swaths of wilderness are required for their survival.
7. HOW LONG DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS LIVE?
If wild broad-winged hawks make it to maturity, they have a 12-year average lifespan. A 14-year-old and 4-month-old broad-winged hawk was the oldest recorded.
8. WHAT SOUNDS DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS MAKE?
High-pitched calls made by broad-winged hawks sound something like whistles. A stuttering, shrill whistle serves as their alert cry. When people think they’re hearing a little bird, they’re actually hearing a broad-winged hawk.
9. WHERE CAN I SEE BROAD-WINGED HAWKS?
The large numbers of broad-winged hawks that migrate in groups are well known. Hawks may be sighted by the thousands of them during their migration routes, which are known as hawk watches. The enormous gatherings of hawks that congregate at Hawk Cliff in Ontario, Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, Hawk Ridge in Minnesota, and the River of Raptors in Veracruz are all well-known.
10. WHAT TIME OF DAY DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS HUNT?
Diurnal, or awake during the day and sleeping at night, broad winged hawks are diurnal birds. They’re most active in the middle of the day, when there are more thermals available for them to use, in locations where they must rely on thermals to generate lift. They tend to be more active in the morning and evening in other areas, where ridges and cliff faces cause updrafts and provide Hawks perches.
11. HOW LONG HAVE BROAD-WINGED HAWKS EXISTED?
This species has existed for a long time, as the oldest broad-winged hawk fossils were discovered to be roughly 400,000 years old. They may have existed much sooner than that, too, but we don’t have fossils from this species older than that, so it’s feasible.
12. HOW MANY EGGS DO BROAD-WINGED HAWKS LAY?
Between one and five eggs are laid in the nest of Broad-winged Hawks. After approximately a month, the eggs will hatch, and the first chicks to emerge have the best chance of survival. They have an advantage over the youngest chicks because they are bigger and stronger, allowing them to prevent their youngest siblings from getting enough food.
The president of the Raptor Education Program is shown holding a Broad-winged Hawk and providing some extremely fascinating information about it in the video below, which is about Broad-winged Hawks in Colorado.