Hawk and Barn

(Swainson’s Hawk)

We’ve seen very few Swainson’s Hawks in Klamath Falls over the years, but I’m always on the lookout. I think they are tricky to identify because they display many color variations. I noted, perusing the Macaulay Library’s thousands of Swainson’s images, that some are so dark, with heavy white markings above the eyes, that they might be mistaken for Ospreys. Attention to habitat would probably prevent the error but, nevertheless, I’ll always look twice—at least.

These birds are incredibly gregarious and migrate from the prairie lands of Canada to the southernmost parts of Argentina in flocks of thousands. That would be a sight to see.

There is something noble in the Swainson’s carriage—whether circling high in the sky or perched and surveying their grassy domains.