Bird of the Month: Swainson’s Hawk September is the month we start saying good-bye to Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsona). As the month progresses, we’ll see fewer of these birds but there’s also the chance to see a gathering of these hawks as they fatten up for the journey south. The really interesting thing about these gatherings is that the birds are eating grasshoppers! Grasshoppers have lots of fat and protein needed to help them reach South America. With its habit of perching on power poles, it could be mistaken for a Red-tailed Hawk. Ther are some key differences that allow you to tell the two apart. From the back, the Swainson’s Hawk is a solid chocolate brown while the Red-tailed Hawk often has a somewhat mottled appearance from its scapular V. From the front, the Swainson’s Hawk has a brown breast, noticeable yellow cere (the area around the nostrils), and banded tail. A Red-tailed Hawk has a belly band, the cere is not as obvious, and that red tail. These distinctions refer to adult light morphs of both species, which is the most common morph we see for both. These differences are still visible but muted in intermediate morphs but harder to see in dark morphs. In flight, Swainson’s Hawks have longer, more pointed wings than Red-tails and they often hold them in a slight V while soaring. We can also see the lack of a belly band, the dark breast, and the banded tail. Additionally, the flight feathers of the Swainson’s Hawk are dark and the leading edge of the wing is light. The Red-tail has dark tips on the flight feathers and the leading edge of the wing closest to the body is dark (the patagials). Close views of the Swainson’s Hawk will show that the cere stands out due to a band of white feathers at the base of the bill and the presence of a white chin patch.