Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 20,729
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The broad-winged hawk is a medium-sized hawk of the genus Buteo. During the summer, some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the Neotropics from Mexico south to southern Brazil. Other subspecies are all-year residents on Caribbean islands. As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks' wings are relatively short and broad with a tapered, somewhat pointed appearance. The two types of coloration are a dark morph with fewer white areas and a light morph that is more pale overall. Although the broad-winged hawk's overall population is increasing, populations are declining in some parts of its breeding range because of forest fragmentation.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Broad-winged hawk”.