Creature Feature: Broad-winged Hawk
September 22, 2026
by Jayne Winters
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Cool fact: Satellite transmitters have shown Broad-winged Hawks migrate an average of 4,350 miles to northern South America, traveling 69 miles each day.
Although Broad-winged Hawks have all but left Maine for the winter, it’s never too late to celebrate them! Especially since they are raptors, which are fascinating members of the bird world.
Raptors are carnivorous birds of prey and include species such as eagles, hawks, falcons, Ospreys, and owls. The term “raptor” appropriately comes from the Latin word “rapere” meaning “to seize or take by force.” Those of us who have seen Jurassic Park movies will likely remember the Velociraptors, the quick, small dinosaurs with sharp claws for grasping prey. (Did you know all modern birds evolved from small, feathered, bipedal dinosaurs?)
Broad-winged Hawks are small, compact raptors that belong to the genus Buteo, characterized by their sturdy, chunky bodies; strong, curved beaks; powerful talons; broad wings; and short, wide tails that aid them in soaring on thermal air currents. Of the three species of Buteos in Maine, the Broad-winged is the smallest, approximately the size of a crow, measuring 16” long with a 34” wingspan.
Adults have reddish-brown heads, barred underparts, and wide black-and-white bands on the tail. The undersides of the wings are pale, bordered in dark brown. Juveniles are lighter brown with coarse streaking on the underparts, particularly on the sides of the breast; the tail is narrowly banded. Although a woodland raptor that spends a considerable amount of sedentary time under the canopy, “broad-wings,” as birders affectionally refer to them, typically hunt in open areas and edges of woodlands, and are often seen perched on utility lines. Their diet consists of small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds (mostly juveniles), worms, and insects. They have earned a solid reputation as expert snake catchers—it’s not unusual for attentive birders to see them flying with one dangling from their bill!
Courting adults display “sky-dancing” performances, circling high in the air, calling, with an impressive finale of plummeting toward the ground. Some breeding pairs stay together for several years, while others have new mates each year. They nest in mixed forests throughout the eastern US and southern Canada, typically 25-40’ above ground, near bodies of water, but distancing themselves from human disturbance. The female does most of the nest construction, which takes 2-4 weeks, but is assisted by the male in collecting dead sticks for the main structure of the nest. The nest cup is comprised of bark chips, moss, lichen, pine needles, leafy twigs, and feathers. The nest measures 12–21” across and 5–12” high on the outside, with the cup 6–7” across and 1–3” deep. Pairs may reuse their nests from previous years or renovate old nests of other species.
The single brood clutch size is usually 2-3 eggs, whitish, creamy, or bluish in color, with a granulated surface, either unmarked or with variable brown streaks. Incubation is 28-31 days, almost entirely by the female; her mate brings food to her and may sit on the eggs while she eats. She remains with the nestlings almost constantly for 1-2 weeks after they hatch. They are born with eyes open and are covered with thick white and gray down; they can fly after 5-6 weeks. Eggs and nestlings are vulnerable to predators such as raccoons, porcupines, crows, owls, and black bears; spring heat waves may also impact young birds in the nest.
Broad-wings are listed as a species of Least Concern and, in fact, their numbers slightly increased (particularly in Canada) between 1966 and 2019 due to reforestation efforts. It’s not a surprise that the largest threat to this species is increasing human development and habitat destruction, particularly within its wintering range. Another common threat is vehicle strikes as the birds are vulnerable when hunting along roadsides. Early in the 20th century, large numbers were shot during migration along with all hawk species, which prompted early conservationists to pass laws protecting them in the US; they are still hunted in parts of their southern range outside of the country, but where legally protected their numbers appear to be stable.
Broad-winged Hawks arrive in Maine in April and May for the breeding season and stay until fall migration in September. We have a healthy and plentiful breeding population, and they are considered one of the state’s true northern woodland hawks.They can be spotted statewide, but migratory counts occur at locations like Bradbury Mountain State Park in Freeport and Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.
More “Cool Facts“
- Broad-winged Hawks migrate to Central and South America each fall in huge flocks of thousands of birds, called “kettles” because of their cauldron shape and swirling motion created by thermals. People in Mexico often call this migration the “River of Raptors.”
- In the fall, migrating hawks pass by the northern and western shores of the Great Lakes and then turn south, to avoid a taxing, nonstop flight over the Gulf of Mexico.
- Pleistocene fossils of Broad-winged Hawks, up to 400,000 years old, have been discovered in Puerto Rico, Florida, Virginia, and as far north as Iowa and Illinois.
- Blue Jays are known to mimic the Broad-winged Hawk call, which is a simple, thin whistle p’deeee, p’deeee.
—by Jayne Winters
Resources:
https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/birds/raptors.html
