The smallest hawk of the Buteo genus which includes Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks. A mainly eastern raptor but is seen occasionally in the west mainly on migration in flight high in the sky. Hunts rodents and insects. Migrates south for the winter from Central America as far as southern Brazil.

Only two accepted records for the checklist area exist including a surprise summer bird flying over some sharp-eyed hikers in the Chilliwack River Valley. This species possibly passes through the area annually in very small numbers but may easily go unnoticed. A higher altitude location, such as Cheam Peak or Sumas Mountain, that has good numbers of migrating hawks passing by overhead might be where the next bird is documented.

Similar species:
Our common Buteo hawks, especially the Red-tailed Hawk, can be variable in apperance. A suspected Broad-winged Hawk would be smaller, more pointed wingtips with pale underwings bordered by dark feathering. On adults, the tail pattern is fairly distinct.

Sources:
Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, (1988)
Sibley, D. (2000)

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