The broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus) are named for their short, broad wings. Broad-winged Hawks are long distance migrants, many of which breed in Canada and winter in Brazil. Research has shown that Broad-winged Hawks typically migrate about 4,300 miles, covering an average of 70 miles each day. A stout, compact buteo, with broad, pointed wings, and short tail, adults are barred rufous on the chest, with a conspicuous white tail band. To attract and court females, the male Broad-winged Hawk will perform a courtship display flight including cartwheels, dives, and other aerial acrobatics. Birds meet in the air, hook their feet together and spiral down together. During migration, weather and geography cause these birds to concentrate into groups that number in the thousands. These large groups are referred to as “kettles.”
