Swainson’s hawk

Swainson's hawk perched on gravel, dark brown back and head, pale buff chest with a dark bib, and a hooked bill

The Swainson’s hawk is a slim, long-winged hawk of open country, with a dark head, a pale throat, and a dark bib across a buff chest. It spends its days perched on fence posts, power poles, and the odd gravel road edge, scanning the grass below for ground squirrels, mice, and grasshoppers, and it soars on long, narrow wings held in a slight V.

Swainson’s hawks arrive on the southern Manitoba prairies and parkland in late April and May, and they nest in lone trees, shelterbelts, and aspen bluffs with a wide view of the fields. By September they gather and leave on one of the longest migrations of any hawk in North America, travelling all the way to the grasslands of South America for the winter, so the best time to find one in Manitoba is from May through August.

To learn more about this bird and its habitat, visit the Swainson’s hawk page at All About Birds.

A Swainson’s hawk keeping watch from the gravel, a guardian of the grasslands.

Field notes in photographs

  • Swainson's hawk perched on gravel, dark brown back and head, pale buff chest with a dark bib, and a hooked bill

Swainson’s hawk Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the Swainson’s hawk in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the Swainson's hawk nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the Swainson’s hawk in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Prairies and parkland (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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