Species: Buteo swainsoni

false - false - true - In migration, occurs regularly in most of Middle America, and rarely east along the Gulf Coast to Florida (AOU 1983). In California, migrates March-early May, with a peak in the first half of April, and September-October (Biosystems Analysis, Inc. 1989). Migrants are greatly concentrated as they pass through Panama (mostly March-early April and October-early November; Ridgely and Gwynne 1989). Migrates through Costa Rica late September-November and late February-early May (Stiles and Skutch 1989). In Colombia, flocks of various sizes reported mainly February-March and September-early November (Hilty and Brown 1986). Main northward migration passes through Panama in mid-March, Veracruz in latter half of March and early April, southern Texas and southwstern U.S. chiefly in April (Palmer 1988); fall concentrations and movements occur in August-September in the north, mainly early October in Texas; peak in migration occurs in September in the southwestern U.S.; arrives in Argentina in late November (Palmer 1988). Annual migration flight may be 18,000-27,000 km, encompasses 4 months of the year. See Houston (1990) for information on migrations of Saskatchewan breeders. Migrates in large, often immense, flocks. Migrates over terrain where updrafts provide needed buoyancy for soaring. May roost at night on ground during migration.