Swainson’s hawk (Oct. 1)

Bueto swainsoni

October can bring many great things to Kansas. Most who know birds think the migrations of Swainson’s hawks is certainly one of those things.

Swainson’s are the size of our common red-tailed hawk and actually have a wider wingspan. Unlike most birds of prey, though, Swainson’s often migrate in flocks.

Wednesday morning, flocks averaging nine in a bunch were moving southward over eastern Harvey County. Most of the time the birds were circling as they gradually headed south. At one time, three such flocks seemed to be over the same 160 acres of prairie. The birds were easily distinguished by two-toned wings when seen from below.

Even more special is when the birds often land in fields in large numbers. One such flock had nearly 300 birds this week in central Kansas. Some credible reports have said more than 1,000 have been documented together.

Swainson’s are primarily birds of the open prairies of the U.S. and on up into central Canada. All have a heck of a trip ahead of them since the species winters in the grasslands of Argentina.

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Swainson’s hawk (Oct. 1)."