Tracking Talons

We've been studying a population of Swainson's Hawks for over 44 years. As we continue this project, we remain eager to learn more about their ecology, movements, and interactions with other species. We are looking for help funding projects to track both adults and juvenile birds, including their migration routes and important wintering areas. We will start telling some of these birds' stories, some natural history, and migration updates on our Twitter and Instagram feeds.

If you are interested in helping us keep this unique project going, please donate. Your donation will help make sure we can get supplies, gas, and technicians to track these birds. Donations of any amount are immensely appreciated! Donate here (please add "Swainson's Hawk" in the comments).

Migration Routes

These are three nestlings we trasmittered in 2016. They are helping us understand the variability in migration, their juvenile movement patterns, and survival. Your donations can help us better understand these movements.

Agriculture and Hawks

One theme for this species is their tie to agriculture. In both North and South America these birds not only forage, but often rely on certain types of agriculture. They provide a great model on how people and nature can work together for each others benefits. Swainson's hawks eat agricultural pests, and farmers create rich habitats fr the bird to forage and provide for their young