SWAINSON’S HAWK: A UNIQUE VISITOR TO ABACO, BAHAMAS
Abaco has 6 accipiter species (hawks, eagles and kites) recorded: Swallow-tailed Kite TR 4, Bald Eagle V4, Northern Harrier WR 3, Sharp-shinned Hawk WR 4, Red-tailed Hawk PR B 1 and Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni V5. The Red-tail is a familiar permanent resident; the Harrier and Sharp-shinned hawk are uncommonly recorded winter residents; the Kites are occasionally seen passing through on their migratory path; the Bald Eagle has been reported on only a handful of occasions; and the Swainson’s Hawk has been seen (or anyway recognised) precisely once. One glance at its migration route shows why…
This fine raptor is definitely not worth travelling to Abaco in the hope of encountering. Managing to find one, identify it and photograph it, is a considerable achievement. Well-known Bahamas bird authority Bruce Hallett not only did so, but got great pictures of this juvenile bird both in flight and perched. No other sighting is recorded for Abaco; and few if any have ever been seen in the Bahamas generally.
WHO WAS MR SWAINSON?
Swainson was one of the early ornithologists – along with men such as Wilson, Cory, Kirtland and La Sagra – whose name is now inextricably bound to the birds they became associated with. Swainson is the ‘owner’ of 3 bird species recorded for Abaco: a hawk, a thrush and a warbler. I have previously written about him and these birds, so to find out more about him click SWAINSON.
WHAT DO THESE BIRDS SOUND LIKE?
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE IN FLIGHT?
A ringed Swainson’s Hawk in its more familiar territory – Colorado
Credits: Photos, Bruce Hallett, Wiki (last); Migration Map, open source; videos, as shown
ROLLING HARBOUR ABACO 
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Great information and migration map, RH, thank you. I was delighted to recently see several migrating Swainson’s Hawks in WY — a beautiful bird. Great photos you have here. 🙂
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Thanks Jet! And most interesting that you actually saw the hawks heading south. It was the slimmest of chances that one drifted (was blown) off course far to the east of its normal route – maybe because it was a juvenile and new to it – and it was spotted by Bruce, author of the definitive field guide to the Birds of the Bahamas & TCI. And he had his camera with him! (I’d have thought it was a leucistic or aberrant red-tail, I suspect) Liked your bison, btw. I guess WY is, or at least was, a major territory for them. I had to look up the location (*tsk*) – so that’s where Laramie is! And Cheyenne… RH
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