The sighting of a new species on the ranch is always an exciting occurrence. The new species was Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), not only is this the first time I've seen this species on the ranch but the first time I've ever seen this species ever. I plan to make a post detailing all the Accipitrids sighted on the ranch eventually but I'll go into a bit of detail about the ecology of Buteo swainsoni in this post. But before that I'll give a short account of the sighting.
I had just finished my morning walk and it was time for me to eat breakfast. Since I was done with my morning observations I had left my camera inside while I went outside to grab myself a microwave breakfast sandwich. Before I could look inside the fridge a large figure soared past my peripheral. I turned to face it, a large dark-brown bird with wide wings. My first thought was that it was a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) but it was just far enough for me to be unsure. Thus, I ran inside and zoomed to grab my camera. Once outside I set my sights on it and just as I thought, it was a Turkey Vulture. I took a few pictures, noticing a few Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) as well.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus)
I was just about to turn around to get my breakfast but I was interrupted by the sight of distant flailing and the sound of a squabbling Northern Mockingbird (
Mimus Polyglottos). The mockingbird was mobbing another large dark-brown bird, it flew with a V-shaped wing posture like a vulture, but mockingbirds don't typically mob vultures. Noticing that only the upperside was brown and the underside was a solid white with a brown head and "bib" allowed me to instantly recognize it as a Swainson's Hawk. The Mockingbird gave up the chase and now undisturbed, the Hawk soared freely over the field.
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
The beautiful and very distinct colors of the Swainson's Hawk left me in awe as I took photos of it in flight. I felt lucky that my gut told me to grab my camera so that I was able to document my observation of this species. This is the seventh species of Accipitrid seen on the ranch and shows the diversity of birds of prey. The Swainson's Hawk, like other Buteo species, hunts in open country where it hunts primarily for insects unlike most other Buteo species who prefer mammalian prey. Since the ranch is abundant in grasshoppers, it's likely that this individual was searching for prey. In fact, grasshoppers are a favorite prey choice for Swainson's hawk. As the hawk soared over the open field, it flew with its wings held in a V-shaped form, much like the vultures unlike most Buteo species. Interestingly the Swainson's Hawk is migratory so this individual has come to Texas to spend it's summer.
Not only is the Swainson's Hawk the seventh species of Accipitrid seen on the ranch but it was also a sign of summer and I look forward to what new species I will see this summer.
Sources:
Field Guide to the Birds of North America 7th Edition by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Hawk/id#
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swainson's_hawk
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