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Project Noah Nature School
Buteo swainsoni
Swainson's Hawk medium-sized raptor. found as a breeding resident almost throughout North America. They fly with their tips upward and tilt back in forth. Dark-morph are dark brown with a light patch under the tail. Native to N. America they spring and summer here and winter in S. America.
Open areas such as grassland, shrub, and farmland areas.
Oh...our turkey vultures migrate here from their wintering grounds in Central & South America...they come early April-ish and leave mid-September-ish...
I'm in West Denver Metro area...just before the foothills. Turkey Vultures don't like the cold...they are very bad at keeping their body temps up. Our educational Turkey Vulture must be brought inside when it gets down to around 0-5 degrees...but we haven't had much of that this year...a couple cold spells... Last weekend we got about 10 inches of snow...but 3 days later it was 65+ degrees...typical Denver. I wouldn't be surprised if we got another snow storm...but probably no more super-cold snaps. There are a few piles of snow left, but the grass is getting green and the trees are budding!! I'm more than ready for spring!! ;-)
Hi Christy
Our Turkey Vulture is year round, guessing yours don't like snow. You still have snow? My sister lives in Elbert.
Whaaaa???? You've got swainies already???? Oh my...has spring sprung or what!!! Haven't seen any swainies here yet (soon - usu. around tax day), but we had our first turkey vulture spotting!! Great capture Jellis!!
I think this is a dark-morph Swainson's hawk based on body structure, head placement in relativity to the wing span, feathered half way down the legs, morph compatibility, barred undertail, and small hooked beak.
That would be great. Swainson's are starting to show. There was both female and male there on a nest. Wish I could have had a better angle.
I'm thinking dark morph Swainson's Hawk, or perhaps a dark morph Broad-winged Hawk (very rare morph and rare species in CA).
Do you mind if I run this through some of my friends on Whatbird?
Spotted on Mar 30, 2013
Submitted on Mar 31, 2013
