Broad-winged Hawk Sighting Near Dorset

Broad-winged Hawk - on a powerline near Dorset - Ontario

As Bob and I sped down Highway 35 towards Dorset this past week, I caught a glimpse of an interesting bird sitting on the power line that runs parallel to the road. At first, we thought we were seeing a Merlin, but the bird turned out to be a Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus).

Broad-winged Hawk - sits on a powerline near Dorset - Ontario

Undistracted by the traffic whizzing by, the Broad-winged Hawk simply surveyed its surroundings, looking for some unsuspecting prey to nab for its next meal. Broad-winged Hawks are carnivores, and their diet consists of whatever insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals or birds are available at any given time.

are carnivores. Their diet changes seasonally, and consists of whichever insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds are available at any given time.

Broad-winged Hawk - sitting on a powerline near Dorset - Ontario

Broad-winged Hawks are about the size of a crow and resemble Red-Shouldered Hawks, but their smaller size and shorter tail is what distinguishes one from the other. This buteo that Bob and I saw is likely a first-year young one judging by the dark brown upper parts and buff streaking on the head and neck.

This past March, Bob and I made a trip to the Mountsberg Raptor Centre in Campbellville, Ontario, to learn more about Raptors that are living across Ontario.

Eastern Screech owl sits relaxed on Jeans hand - Mountsberg Raptor Centre

Among the many different types of Raptors at the center that we had a chance to meet and greet was this tiny Eastern Screech Owl perched on my hand. Our time at the centre proved very worthwhile; we recommend it to all those who are interested in birds and raptors.

Broad-winged Hawk - Africa -- Mountsberg Raptor Centre - Ontario

Another raptor we had a chance to see at the center was Africa, a Broad-winged Hawk. Staff at the Raptor Centre told us that, after being injured as a young bird, Africa spent too much time around humans during her rehabilitation and was accidentally imprinted, meaning she couldn’t live without human support. Africa was finally transferred to the Mountsberg Centre and has lived there for more than a decade. It was great to learn about this Broad-winged Hawk from the experts at the Centre, but getting to see one in its natural habitat was quite a thrill for Bob and me.

Broad-winged Hawk - in flight near Dorset - Ontario

Broad-winged Hawks are known for their mass migrations. They sometimes fly in flocks, called kettles, that contain tens of thousands of birds! Bob and I recently traveled to Grimsby, which is famous for being a place in Ontario where you can see massive kettles of hawks, but unfortunately we saw no Broad-winged Hawks during that visit. That area is a magnet for other types of birds, too, such as the Eastern Towhee, which we did see that day.

At least Bob and I got to see this one lone Broad-winged Hawk soaring on high near Dorset, Ontario. Broad-winged Hawks are solitary and territorial, except during migration. These chunky, compact hawks soar with their wings held flat and tapering to a point. The distinctive broad wide band on the tail of this one really stood out as being thicker than the others, confirming our suspicions that this is a juvenile.

Broad-winged Hawk - sits in a tree near Dorset - Ontario

Broad-winged Hawks favour dense forests for nesting, and prefer to have water and roads, trails, wetlands or meadows nearby. Those openings in the forest canopy aid its efforts at foraging.

Broad-winged Hawk - near Dorset - Ontario

When one particularly noisy dump truck passed by, there at the side of the highway, the Broad-winged Hawk took flight from the power line and landed on the opposite side of the road, giving me a better look at its back.

Broad-winged Hawk - sits in tree - Dorset - Ontario

From its perch in the tree, the Broad-winged Hawk kept a close watch on me. It appeared to lift its one foot up and hold it off the branch for long periods of time.

Broad-winged hawks favor dense deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests for nesting. They prefer to have water and openings such as roads, trails, wetlands or meadows nearby. Broad-winged hawks use these openings in the canopy for foraging. They tend to avoid nesting near human dwellings. Broad-winged hawks favor dense deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests for nesting. They prefer to have water and openings such as roads, trails, wetlands or meadows nearby. Broad-winged hawks use these openings in the canopy for foraging. They tend to avoid nesting near human dwellings. Broad-winged hawks favor dense deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests for nesting. They prefer to have water and openings such as roads, trails, wetlands or meadows nearby. Broad-winged hawks use these openings in the canopy for foraging. They tend to avoid nesting near human dwellings.

The population of Broad-winged Hawks is relatively stable in North America, but numbers are declining in some breeding areas because of forest fragmentation. This was the first time that Bob and I had come across a Broad-winged Hawk in the wild, so we were very pleased to have the chance to document it.

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