About the Swainson’s Hawk Drawing
When I lived in Texas, I frequently saw Swainson’s Hawks during the warmer months, especially in the open country west of Fort Worth. Their absence during winter was conspicuous because nearly the entire population migrates south. In that sense, they are true “snowbirds,” although their seasonal journey is far more impressive than the human version.
Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) are birds of grasslands, ranch country, farmland, and other open landscapes across western North America. During the breeding season, they hunt ground squirrels, rodents, rabbits, reptiles, and other vertebrates for their young. Later in the year, their diet shifts largely toward grasshoppers, dragonflies, and other large insects, which they may catch in flight or pursue on the ground.
The species undertakes one of the longest migrations of any American raptor, with most individuals traveling to the grasslands of southern South America for the winter. I have watched enormous kettles of Swainson’s Hawks and Turkey Vultures circling together in rising thermals. The birds spiral upward with almost no effort, then glide southward until they locate the next column of warm air. Swainson’s Hawks sometimes migrate in flocks numbering in the thousands or even tens of thousands.
This dependence on open agricultural landscapes can also create risks. Swainson’s Hawks have declined substantially in portions of their nesting range, particularly in California, because of habitat loss and changing land use. During the 1990s, thousands were also poisoned on their Argentine wintering grounds after feeding on insects exposed to agricultural pesticides. The species is currently classified globally as Least Concern, but some regional populations remain conservation priorities.
In Plains Drifter, I focused closely on the hawk’s alert eye, hooked bill, layered breast and wing feathers, and composed expression. The intimate portrait contrasts with my memories of these birds far overhead, drifting across open Texas skies on long wings or gathering into immense migratory kettles.
Plains Drifter is a graphite wildlife drawing of a Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) by Michael E. Dorcas for Tantilla Art.