The Swainson's hawk (Buteo Swainsoni) was listed as a threatened species in 1983 by the California Fish and Game Commission. Small birds, bats, rabbits, reptiles, amphibians and muskrats are also taken4. The adult Swainson’s hawk has dark brown plumage, a brown breast, pale belly, and a conspicuous white patch on its throat. Pesticides and Swainson's Hawk. suitable Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat. And yet, this region is home to the highest concentration of Swainson's hawks in the state (Bloom 1980). Winters in tropical forest. Unlock thousands of full-length species accounts and hundreds of bird family overviews when you subscribe to Birds of the World. Habitat: Spruce forests and dense streamside woods; in migration, other woods. 2782 days since Project Due Date. Rapidly residential and commercial development interspersed with oaks, reminiscent of savanna-like habitat. Forages by soaring or by watching from a perch. The Swainson’s Hawk is an aerial hunter that feeds mainly on small mammals including: voles, deer mice, ground squirrels, and pocket gophers, but also takes large numbers of insects such as grasshoppers. Swainson’s hawk Scientific Name. Because some hawks built a new nest in the same territory the following year (1993), only 1 occupied nest per territory over the 2-yr period was used in the habitat analysis to avoid pseudoreplication. In Arizona atlasers found this hawk breeding most commonly (66%) in grassland and desert habitats (Wise-Gervais 2005) similar to Colorado where grassland and agricultural habitats produced 63% of breeding records (Preston 1998). Occurs in many kinds of woodlands in migration. In fact, it is sometimes called the grasshopper hawk. The concept is that impact to foraging habitat occurs as properties develop to increasingly more intensive uses on smaller minimum parcel sizes. During the environmental review process, the Office of Planning and Environmental Review (PER) determines if the project impacts Swainson’s Hawk foraging habitat. Significant losses of grassland habitat have contributed to declines of this species. Habitat Swainson's Hawks prefer open habitats. Breeds in far north and in mountains in coniferous forest with extensive leafy undergrowth; on Pacific Coast, also breeds in deciduous trees and thickets growing along streams. Habitat. It can sometimes be seen following tractors and snatching up insects that are flushed out. Population size, density per unit of suitable habitat, survival rates, and metapopulation structure are not well known outside of a few small intensive study areas. It is often seen perched on poles and fence posts looking for prey. Hawk foraging habitat to a less than significant level for those parcels falling within the scope of this chapter as set forth herein. range and foraging habitat requirements of the Swainson's hawk in the Sacramento Valley. Home. It favors wild prairie, hayfields, and pastures over wheat fields and alfalfa fields, which may offer its prey too much cover. Habitat. Life Cycle. In many areas where Swainsons' Hawks live or travel through, habitat loss and attempts to control grasshoppers and locusts – some of their main prey items – are taking a toll on this lovely raptor. Swainson's require trees for nesting and is found around aspen groves, riparian areas and farmlands. When migrating, they switch to a diet of almost exclusively insects, especially grasshoppers, which gives them their nickname of “grasshopper hawk.” At the Sanctuary, we feed a variety of small animals, principally rodents. Survival Adaptations. Habitat: This species is a bird that migrates every winter and spring to South America and North America in the summer. In North America, it is found in the southwest deserts, grasslands and prairies of the intermountain states and provinces, and the grasslands of the Great Plains. When this hawk is perched, its wings are longer than its tail. Photo Credit: Tom Koerner, U.S. Feeding Habits. Because they are long-distance migrants, Swainson's Hawks may be exposed to a wider variety of threats. Agricultural lands consisted of annually rotated irrigated croplands, hayfields, and irrigated pastures. During nesting season, Swainson’s hawk diets consist of the classic “three R’s” of raptor food: rodents, rabbits, and reptiles. The methodology recognizes that Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat value is greater in large expansive open spaces and agricultural areas than in areas which have been fragmented by agricultural-residential or urban development. Enlarge Adult Swainson's Hawk on nest, Minot, ND, 19 June. Share this Important Bird Area Birds in This Area. Activities that would impact modeled Swainson’s hawk habitat 31 consist of tunnel, forebay, and intake construction, temporary access roads, and construction of . Data gaps . Diet. Hawk habitat as indicated by the canonical correlation. But, as is the case with many other raptors, Swainson’s Hawk populations have declined from their historical numbers. In the 1990s, Swainson's Hawk experienced an alarming decline in population in the western United States. Swainson’s Hawk Status. 3. It is thought that the historic population of Swainson's hawks in California was as many as17,136 pairs. We just keep building on the open grasslands and agricultural fields where these hawks love to hunt! Species Description. Winters in Argentina. Breeds across most of the western U.S., southwestern Canada, and northern Mexico. Diet. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. BREEDING HABITAT. The Sacramento County Swainson’s Hawk Mitigation Program is one option applicants may use to mitigate for impacts to Swainson’s Hawk foraging habitat. Bobolink. song #2 song #2 extended song given in flight alarm calls of pair various calls pink calls. Swainson's Hawk. However, far western populations, like that of Oregon, and southern California, have drastically declined, often due to habitat loss or incompatible. The habitat of the Swainson's Hawk consists of open and semi-open country in both its breeding and wintering ranges. Swainson's Hawk nesting habitat, Gackle, ND, July. They frequently nest in isolated trees that dot the prairie. Swainson’s hawk is a medium sized soaring hawk with long, narrow wings, a very small bill, and a fan … New Alternatives: Alternatives 4A, 2D, and 5A Alternative 4A Terrestrial Biological Resources Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California WaterFix RDEIR/SDEIS 4.3.8-172 2015 ICF 00139.14 1 transmission lines. This site was chosen as an IBA because it met the criteria for breeding Swainson's Hawk. Identifying Characteristics. https://www.natomasbasin.org/.../the-nbhcp-species/wildlife/swainsons-hawk Swainson’s hawks are migratory. Nearly 95% of California’s remaining Swainson’s hawk population is in the Central Valley. Behavior. An estimated 35,000 birds had died in Argentina in one season alone, carpeting the ground with dead birds in some places. Grasslands and farmland. Establishing habitat and population objectives for the Swainson's Hawk in riparian-associated regions of California will be difficult. Range. More information: Bent Life History. However, here in California, the Swainson’s Hawk is considered a State Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss. Fish and Wildlife Service Overview. The Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) breeding population in California's Central Valley (CV) is spatially disjunct from other populations that breed in open country in the rest of western and central North America (Hull et al. Swainson's Hawks are birds of open country, typically soaring and hovering in strong wings in search of prey. There’s actually a Sacramento City Park, in the North Natomas area, called Swainson’s Hawk Park! 2008, Bechard et al. Swainson’s Hawk habitat has been approximately 0.125:1 (i.e., for every acre of land 1. removed, one-eighth acre is managed as upland habitat on Natomas Basin Conservancy [NBC] reserves). Swainson's Hawk has adapted well to grazing and seems to be holding its own over much of its breeding range, from northern Mexico to the southern parts of the prairie provinces. Habitat. The habitat of Swainson's hawk consists of open and semi-open country – deserts, grasslands and prairies – in both its breeding and wintering ranges. Habitat: Swainson’s Hawk forages in open grasslands, shrub-steppe, and prairies, as well as agricultural areas where crop height does not greatly exceed that of native grasses (e.g., hay, wheat, alfalfa) 1, 3. Species Recovery. In Wyoming, the species generally occurs in these habitats below 2,750 m in elevation 4. Swainson’s Hawk foraging habitat on farmland is being displaced by urban development. Populations declining. Range. This decline was traced to heavy mortality on their wintering grounds. Buteo swainsoni. Habitat Swainson's hawk lives on open plains, prairies, agricultural areas, and other grasslands. mean home range size reported for Swainsons Hawk (Fitzner 1980) and Red-tailed Hawk (U.S. Department of Interior 1979). Cropland or pasture within the Urban Limit Line and surrounded by development is not considered suitable because of substantial disturbance. High mortality of wintering birds due to pesticide misuse in the Pampas of Argentina is well documented. Habitat. Human population increases, urbanization, and shifts in agricultural land use have the potential to affect California's Swainson's Hawk population. These types were combined into a single land use type – irrigated cropland/irrigated pastureland. In California, the drop was so drastic that the species was listed as threatened in the state in 1983. Swainson’s Hawk . VIEW DATA LAYERS IN COMPASS. Swainson’s Hawks breed in Texas from near sea level to at least 1800 m (6000 ft) on prairies,,, plain and deserts (Oberholser 1974,). The California Fish and Game Commission listed the Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) as a state threatened species in 1983 in response to population reductions and habitat loss across the state. Endangered Species. Small mammals and insects. HABITAT AND POPULATION OBJECTIVES. Swainson's hawk eats insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets and locusts. Visit the Bent Life History for extensive additional information on the Swainson's Hawk. Visit this photographer's photo galleries here. • First, it is unclear why DFG has approved Swainson’s Hawk credits at mitigation banks established for wetland species with a service area well beyond that habitat type. BEHAVIOR & Lifespan. Like the northern harrier, it soars with its wings held above the horizontal. Positive coefficients indicate features associated with Red-tailed Hawks. Description. potential breeding habitat were considered potential Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat. Distribution and Abundance. Habitat. This listing was based on loss of habitat and decreased numbers across the state. Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation.