Journey of the Swainson's Hawk
By Donna Ralph, Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
As February inches slowly toward March, and then April, I await the return of the regal Swainson's hawk. In just a few short weeks I'll be looking for the familiar silhouette up on the utility poles of these migratory birds that left our area in September for their long migration down to their winter home in Argentina. The golden eagles have been readily viewed the last couple of weeks by the observant folks who are looking for them. The ferruginous hawks are busily hunting prairie dogs. And Eagle Days at Lake Pueblo happens in just a couple of days.
But for me, spring is officially here when I see the Swainson's hawk, the beautiful buteo with its distinctive dark head, rusty bib, buff body, and slate back, maintaining their lookouts up high and cruising over the fields looking for their food; insects, rodents, and reptiles. In particular, I look each year for the "telephone company" Swainson's hawks, the ones that perch up on the pole by the local phone company.
Within several weeks of arrival back to our State, the birds might return back to the same nest they've used in the past, if that tree is still there. By June and July, breeding season is in full force. By end of July and into August, the birds begin to fledge. Just like every other bird, fledgling time is a tough time for these hawks, as they're out of the nest, can't get back into it, are several days away from flight, still being cared for by the parents, and yet so vulnerable to predators, cars, and severe weather. Late July and August is when these youngsters begin showing up to rehab, where they are allowed time to learn to fly and find Swainson's hawk food by themselves here at our outdoor facilities, then returned back to the wild, almost always exactly where they were picked up, and ready to prepare for their migration.
In September and October the birds begin to gather throughout the State, joining together as they head south in preparation for their long journey back to Argentina. The cloud of these birds becomes ever larger and darker; a sight not soon forgotten, if you've ever been fortunate enough to see this cloud, called a kettle. The birds can be seen in fields by the hundreds, rising up into the air in a funnel, I've been told.
The birds face many challenges in their pursuit of survival. Their migration is a very long trip, where they may face problems with severe weather. Another challenge they faced was pesticide use in Argentina, with a dramatic decrease of several thousand birds in the mid-1990s. They face ever-increasing loss of habitat as well, with trees they use for nesting disappearing and the resultant loss of prey as well.
It saddens me, this explosion of development that occurs around us more and more, and the impact on not just our Swainson's Hawk but myriad other species that depend on the trees, grasses, marshy areas, and water sources for survival. I wonder about the future of so many of the beneficial birds and other creatures we share our environment with.
For now, I anticipate the arrival of the beneficial Swainson's Hawk back to our area and know that when I see them back up where I'm used to seeing them, then Spring has officially arrived!
Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
www.ellicottwildlife.com
P.O. Box 75069
Colorado Springs, CO. 80970