Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni

Silhouette: Lauren Anderson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusButeo (Buteos)
SpeciesButeo swainsoni (Swainson's Hawk)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tijuca National Park

2 Verified sightings at Tijuca National Park From 2019 to 2026

3,272 Verified sightings across all 52 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Swainson's Hawk

Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a large bird species in the Accipitriformes order. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist. It is colloquially known as the grasshopper hawk or locust hawk, as it is very fond of Acrididae (locusts and grasshoppers) and will voraciously eat these insects whenever they are available.

Their breeding habitat is prairie and dry grasslands in western North America. They build a stick nest in a tree or shrub or on a cliff edge. This species is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Argentina; it has been recorded as a vagrant in neighboring Chile, in the island countries of the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago, and in Norway.

This species or its immediate predecessor is the ancestor of the Galápagos hawk, as demonstrated by recent research. Then later diverged from the mainland birds perhaps 300,000 years ago, a very short time in evolution. Swainson's hawk is a raptor and a medium-sized member of the genus Buteo. It broadly overlaps in size with the red-tailed hawk (B. jamaicensis), a related species found as a breeding resident almost throughout North America. Swainson's hawk is on average a little... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tijuca National Park

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo albicaudatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo albonotatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Harpagus diodon

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leptodon cayanensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Spizaetus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Parabuteo unicinctus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leucopternis lacernulatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Chondrohierax uncinatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~20%
2	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
3	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
4	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
5	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
6	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
7	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
8	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
9	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
10	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
11	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
12	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
13	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
14	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
15	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
16	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
18	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
19	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
20	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
21	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
22	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
23	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
26	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
27	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
28	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
29	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
30	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
31	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
34	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
36	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
37	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
38	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
39	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
40	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
41	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
42	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
43	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
44	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
45	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data
46	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
47	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
48	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
49	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
50	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
51	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
52	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data

← Back to Tijuca National Park

Swainson's Hawk

About the Swainson's Hawk

Recent sightings of Swainson's Hawk in Tijuca National Park

Closest Relatives at Tijuca National Park

Short-tailed Hawk

White-tailed Hawk

Zone-tailed Hawk

Roadside Hawk

Rufous-thighed Kite

Gray-headed Kite

Black Hawk-Eagle

Harris' Hawk

White-necked Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle

Hook-billed Kite

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found