IDENTIFICATION

Length: Adults are 13 to 15 inches tall, with a wingspan averaging 33 inches.

Weight: Adults vary in weight from 2 to 4 pounds.

Color: They are a medium, crow-sized hawk. When it is flying overhead, look for its broad, thickly striped tail. Adults have a dark brown back and a brown-barred breast. Juveniles have brown, vertical barring on their chest.

Sounds: High "keee" whistle or whining sound (used to defend territory)

HABITAT

Range: Broad-wings are found throughout forested regions of central and eastern USA. They prefer deciduous or mixed forests, often near clearings where they can hunt. Broad-wings spend their winters in southern Florida and Central and South America.

Diet: They eat a variety of prey, including rodents, insects, reptiles, amphibians, reptiles, and other birds.

Status: Least Concern. Broad-winged hawks are very common in Minnesota, with a population of about 70,000 individuals in the state.

LIFE CYCLE

Reproduction: Male and female broad-winged hawks perform courtship dances in the spring. After couples pair up, they build a nest in a tree from twigs and branches. The female lays 2 to 4 cream-colored eggs over a period of several days. She broods the eggs while the male brings her food. Eggs hatch after around 1 month, and both parents feed the young. The young fledge at just over 1 month of age.

Adaptations: This species of hawk has very keen eyesight and can spot their prey from great distances. Broad-wings use their sharp talons to kill their prey, and their scissor-like beaks to tear meat.