Buteo platypterus

Buteo platypterus

Family: Accipitridae

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a compact woodland raptor with rounded wings, barred underparts, and a relatively short banded tail. In Minnesota, it is most often associated with wooded areas during the breeding season and is especially noticeable during migration when groups may circle together in rising air.

For representative images and visual context, see the page: Broad-winged Hawk in the Gallery section.

Description

Buteo platypterus is recognized by:

• Size: small to medium-sized buteo; more compact than Red-tailed Hawk
• Plumage: brown upperparts with pale underparts marked by horizontal barring
• Bill: hooked raptor bill with yellow cere visible at close range
• Structure: broad rounded wings, stocky body, and relatively short tail
• Sex differences: sexes are similar in plumage, though females are typically larger

The overall field impression is of a sturdy, compact hawk with a short tail and rounded wings, often seen perched quietly or circling above woodland habitat.

Habitat and Range

Typical habitats include:

• Deciduous and mixed woodlands
• Forest edges and openings
• Wooded wetlands, riparian corridors, and mature tree stands

Notes may include:

• In Minnesota, Broad-winged Hawks are primarily breeding-season birds and migrants.
• They are often less conspicuous while nesting in wooded habitat than they are during migration.
• During migration, they may form kettles, circling in groups as they use rising air currents.
• Perched birds may be seen along woodland edges, dead branches, or openings where hunting and observation are possible.

Identification

Key features for field diagnosis:

• Shape: compact buteo shape with broad rounded wings and a short tail
• Plumage: barred breast and belly on adults; brown upperparts
• Tail: broad dark-and-light tail bands, especially visible in flight or when the tail is fanned
• Voice: a high, thin whistled call, often described as piercing
• Behavior: often perches quietly in wooded habitat; may soar during migration

The combination of compact structure, rounded wings, barred underparts, and a banded tail helps separate Broad-winged Hawk from larger buteos and from longer-winged raptors such as Osprey.

Behavior and Ecology

• Usually solitary or paired during the breeding season
• More social during migration, when groups may gather in kettles
• Nests in trees within wooded habitat
• Hunts from perches or by moving through woodland edges and openings
• Diet includes:
  • Small mammals
  • Amphibians and reptiles
  • Large insects
  • Small birds when available

Broad-winged Hawks are woodland hunters, often present without drawing much attention until they call, move from a perch, or appear overhead during migration.

Notes

• The photographed bird showed barred underparts, a compact buteo body, rounded wings, and a short banded tail.
• The initial impression could suggest other raptors at a distance, but the flight frames clarified the identification.
• The bird did not show the long, kinked wings, white underparts, or dark wrist patches expected on an Osprey.
• Perched views are useful for plumage and posture; flight views are especially useful for wing shape and tail pattern.
• In Minnesota, this species is a good woodland raptor to watch for during spring and fall movement, especially near forested areas and migration corridors.

References

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology – All About Birds
  https://www.allaboutbirds.org

• Audubon Field Guide
  https://www.audubon.org

• iNaturalist taxon page
  https://www.inaturalist.org/