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Swainson’s Hawks Are Threatened in California

Swainson's HawkSwainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) photo by Larry Jordan

The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is listed as threatened in California. Its numbers have declined significantly in parts of the western United States; and in the western Canadian prairie, reproduction of the Swainson’s Hawk has dropped since the mid-1980s, following a decline in its main prey species, Richardson’s ground squirrel. In 1995, satellite telemetry was used for the first time to investigate Swainson Hawk migration; these studies revealed that thousands of these hawks were dying in Argentina as a result of the use of pesticides.

Go read my latest West Coast Beat Writer post on Swainson’s Hawks in Plumas County over at 10000 Birds!