Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Accipitridae
The forest hawk that produces one of North America's most extraordinary migration sights. Small compact Buteo — brown back, banded rust-and-white underparts, chunky pale-and-black striped tail. In September, tens of thousands assemble in swirling 'kettles' as they ride thermals down the Kittatinny Ridge toward Central and South American winter grounds.
Arrives April/May; migrates south in September in spectacular kettles over the Kittatinny Ridge.
How to spot one.
13–17 inches — small and compact for a Buteo
Warm brown back and head
Banded rust-and-white underparts (adults), streaky brown (juveniles)
Tail: broad black-and-white bands (2–3 white bands roughly the same width as the black)
Whistled 'peeer-teeee!' call — often the first indication of one
What it sounds like.
High-pitched whistled 'p'wheeeeee' — a plaintive downslurred whistle. Unmistakable once learned.
How it lives.
Forest hunter — sits on a low perch and drops on small mammals, snakes, frogs, and large insects. Migrates in enormous groups (kettles), riding thermals as high as several thousand feet before gliding south. Cape May and the Kittatinny Ridge hawkwatches see 15,000+ Broadwings on peak September days.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Summer breeder
- Size
- 13.4–17.3 inches
- Present in NJ
- April – September
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Accipitridae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Small mammals (chipmunks, voles, mice)
Snakes, frogs, toads
Large insects (dragonflies, cicadas)
Occasionally small birds and lizards
Fall / winter
Migrates to Central America and northern South America
Winter diet: rainforest small vertebrates and large insects
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Mature deciduous forest (nesting)
Cover / habitat
Forest edges near open ground
Cover / habitat
NJ Audubon · NJDEP Fish & Wildlife · Hawk Migration Association of North America
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