Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni Bonaparte, 1838

Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Swainson's Hawk, Buteo swainsoni, breeds in western North America, from south-west Canada through the western USA to northern Mexico, and moves south to southern South America outside the breeding season. It is a bird of the Accipitridae family and the Accipitriformes order. Its breeding grounds are prairie and dry grassland, and it places a stick nest in a tree, a shrub or on a cliff edge. It is also known as the grasshopper hawk or locust hawk, names that reflect its strong link with locusts and grasshoppers.

Order
Accipitriformes
Family
Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Breeding range
North America, Middle America: sw Canada, w USA and n Mexico
Nonbreeding range
to s SA
Swainson's Hawk
© Cephas · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

19 tours in Canada 16, Mexico 2, United States 1

Private Pawnee Grassland Birding and Wildlife Day
Private Pawnee Grassland Birding and Wildlife Day
United States / Denver Private tour 10h

Explore Pawnee National Grassland and Crow Valley for prairie specialists, migrant passerines, raptors and other shortgrass wildlife on a pr...

From USD 495
Canada – Saskatchewan Autumn Birding Grand Tour: September 9 – 18, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Autumn Birding Grand Tour: September 9 – 18, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 10 days

A ten-day Saskatchewan migration tour combining Saskatoon-area wetlands and parks with Prince Albert National Park and Last Mountain Lake....

From CAD 3,650 Next: Sep 9, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6 days

A six-day late-summer Saskatchewan birding circuit timed for early migration, with wetlands, prairie and Saskatoon-area parks on the route....

From CAD 1,850 Next: Aug 24, 2026
Veracruz River of Raptors Migration Tour
Veracruz River of Raptors Migration Tour
Mexico / Chichicaxtle Private tour

A private birding outing at Observatorio de Aves Migratorias Dr. Mario Ramos with Veracruz biologist and local guide Gustavo Contreras, plan...

Laguna La Mancha Coastal Birding Tour
Laguna La Mancha Coastal Birding Tour
Mexico / Actopan Private tour

A private birding outing at Laguna La Mancha & Centro de Investigaciones Costeras with Veracruz biologist and local guide Gustavo Contreras,...

Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 18 days

An 18-day self-drive grand tour across southern Saskatchewan, linking boreal forest, major lakes, prairie parks and river valleys during the...

From CAD 15,900
Canada – Saskatchewan Spring Birding Grand Tour: May 11–17, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Spring Birding Grand Tour: May 11–17, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 7 days

A seven-day self-drive spring journey from Saskatoon through Saskatchewan wetlands, prairie and grassland parks during the migration and bre...

From CAD 5,850
Signs of Spring Birding Tour: 2 great options
Signs of Spring Birding Tour: 2 great options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A three-hour self-drive birding tour on back roads near Saskatoon, following the changing arrival of prairie birds through spring....

From CAD 75
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive circuit west of Saskatoon through prairie, ponds, Eagle Creek and the Van Scoy Lakes for waterbirds and shorebirds....

From CAD 440
Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour self-drive tour from Saskatoon to Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary, exploring prairie, woodland, ponds, marshes and saline-lake sh...

From CAD 590
Radisson Lake Birding Tour – 4 great hours with water and grassland birds
Radisson Lake Birding Tour – 4 great hours with water and grassland birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4h

A private four-hour self-drive tour around Radisson Lake Important Bird Area, combining open-water, shorebird, grassland and aspen habitat....

From CAD 340
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2 days

A private two- or three-day self-drive birding tour through the Great Sand Hills, South Saskatchewan River valley and, on the longer option,...

From CAD 1,290
Grasslands National Park Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Swift Current – Best Prairie Birds 2026
Grasslands National Park Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Swift Current – Best Prairie Birds 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

A private three-day self-drive journey from Saskatoon into Grasslands National Park and southern Saskatchewan’s prairie and shorebird coun...

From CAD 2,190
Canada – Saskatchewan Mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3–10, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3–10, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

An eight-day self-drive tour linking Saskatchewan wetlands, prairie, river valleys and the Great Sand Hills as young birds and early migrant...

From CAD 4,750
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12 – 26, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12 – 26, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 15 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 50
Canada – Southwest Saskatchewan Birding Tour: July 9–16, 2027
Canada – Southwest Saskatchewan Birding Tour: July 9–16, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

An eight-day self-drive route through southwest Saskatchewan, combining major shorebird lakes, Cypress Hills, open prairie and Grasslands Na...

From CAD 5,580
Prairie Grasslands Birding Tour
Prairie Grasslands Birding Tour
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour self-drive tour through grassland habitats around Saskatoon, using frequent roadside stops to look and listen for prairie bird...

From CAD 690
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive birding route from Gardiner Dam to the Anerley Lakes valley, combining lake, river, woodland, marsh and prairie habita...

From CAD 390
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,990