Head to head
Swainson's Hawk vs Red-Shouldered Hawk
Swainson's hawk and the red-shouldered hawk are both Buteo hawks of North America, yet they have settled into almost opposite lifestyles, one built around an epic annual journey and the other around staying put in the trees.
| Swainson's Hawk | Red-Shouldered Hawk | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Buteo swainsoni | Buteo lineatus |
| Habitat | Open grassland and agricultural land | Forest, especially near water |
| Migration | ~12,000-mile round trip to Argentina | Short-distance or non-migratory in parts of range |
| Diet shift | Switches largely to grasshoppers post-breeding | Stays on small vertebrates year-round |
| Signature trait | Extreme long-distance migration | Call frequently mimicked by blue jays |
| Hunting style | Soars over open country | Hunts from within forest canopy |
| Historical threat | 1990s pesticide poisoning in Argentina | None comparable documented |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Swainson's Hawk vs Red-Shouldered Hawk: common questions
Which of these two hawks migrates farther?
Swainson's hawk migrates dramatically farther, undertaking a round trip of roughly 12,000 miles or more between its North American breeding grounds and wintering areas on the pampas of Argentina, while the red-shouldered hawk migrates only short distances or, in parts of its range, does not migrate at all.
Why does the blue jay imitate the red-shouldered hawk instead of Swainson's hawk?
The red-shouldered hawk's sharp, repeated "kee-aah" call is simply more common within the blue jay's own eastern forest range, since Swainson's hawk breeds across open western grassland where the two species rarely overlap, giving blue jays far more exposure to the red-shouldered hawk's distinctive voice.
Do both hawks hunt the same way?
No, Swainson's hawk typically soars over open grassland scanning for rodents or grasshoppers, while the red-shouldered hawk hunts from perches within dense forest canopy, a habitat-driven difference in hunting style between the two Buteo relatives.