Swainson's Hawk

The Swainson's Hawk is a casual visitor to campus with six sightings from late March to mid May. The Swainson's Hawk is an uncommon spring and fall migrant through southern California, although some locations (such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park) experience flocks of hundreds of these birds during migration.The Swainson's Hawk can be identified by its brown upperparts, white underparts, reddish brown hood (head and breast) with white throat, and narrowly banded tail. In flight the leading edge of the underwing is white and the trailing edge is dark.