Rance
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From: "avnav8r" <johnstokes@h...>
Date: Wed Sep 15, 2004
Subject: Broad-Winged Hawk migration
Hello Eastern pilots,
In the next two weeks or so, look for the annual Broad-winged Hawk migration on ridges east of the Great Plains. This crow-sized Buteo, a smaller cousin of the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, is known for it's spectacular numbers during its Autumnal migration to Central and South America. It is not unusual to see several hundred Broad-wings thermaling together in what birders call "kettles" (their version of "gaggles"). The Broad-winged Hawk is marked as follows: brownish backs and brownish-black upper-surface wings, brownish-red breasts with grayish under-surface wings, equal-width alternating black and white banded tail (Red-shouldereds have broad black bands alternating with narrow white bands). Immatures are adult-sized birds but lack the black and white tail, have grayish-brown upper-surface and light colored breasts with light under-surface wings. Females are larger than males. The Broad-wing is a semi-forest dweller, most frequently seen in a tree or on a powerline along a road that cut through a forested area. Its prey consists of lizards, frogs, small snakes,large insects, rodents and smaller birds. Look for these birds along west-northwest facing ridges after a passage of a cold front. Hopefully, many pilots will be seeing the movements of this bird and please let me know if you get to fly with any of the kettles. Thanks and have fun!
John Stokes, Co-Director
Save Our American Raptors (South)
P.O. Box 743
Trenton, Georgia 30752-0743
(706)657-3278
