| Common Name | Swainson’s Hawk |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Buteo swainsoni |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 10/12/2021 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Madeleine Dawson |
| Mailing Address | 349nHighlands Dr Williston, Vt 05495 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 10/13/2021 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 0 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 0 |
| Place Name | Gage Rd. |
| Township | Addison |
| County | Addison |
| Time of Day | 03:30 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 45 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 200ft |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 50ft |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Around 70 degrees, sunny, light winds |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Bushnell binoculars 8x42 |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | None |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Wide open farm fields bordering Dead Creek Natural Wildlife Area. It was very quiet, I did not see any other birds except for the occasional crow. |
| Behaviors Observed | When I first noticed him, he was on the ground at the edge of the road. I watched him for about 10 minutes and then he took off and flew around behind me and landed on a dead tree. He stayed there looking at me and scanning the fields for about 25 minutes before taking off and gliding away from me over the fields. He did not seem bothered by me at all. I would inch closer every few minutes until I felt like I was close enough to get some good pictures. Then I just stood and watched until he flew away. |
| Description of Vocalizations | He did not make any sounds. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | See notes in the “behaviors observed” section… |
| Relative Size & Shape | I would say similar to a Red Tail Hawk but a bit stockier |
| Head | Dark crown with white above the eyes and cere. Yellow cere. Dark cheek patch with dark stripe extending back from the eye. Yellowish eyes |
| Feet & Bill | Black bill, smallish |
| Upper Back | Brown with white edging to feathers..scallop appearance |
| Lower Back & Rump | Consistent with upper back |
| Wings | Broad with white and brown spotted appearance forming a V shape pattern at the top half of the wings with striping on the bottom half |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Brown and white splotchy with striping on the under tail coverts |
| Tail | Upper tail coverts also stripped with no other visible markings. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Sharp Shinned Hawk… |
| Other Notes & Comments | I am new to birding and was advised by some fellow birders that this is possibly a Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk. When I had trouble identifying it, I plugged the photos into Merlin and it came up as a Swainson’s. I have more pics if you need them. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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