168 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
may be distinguished from the other Buteos by having three instead of four wing 
quills cut out. 
Range. — Breeds from British Columbia (mostly in arid interior) and Manitoba 
(more rarely from northern Alaska and northern Mackenzie south to Chile; winters 
from Colorado and South Dakota south to northern Argentina. 
From Biological Survey 
Fig. 27. Swainson Hawk Nestlings 
Look pleasant, please! 
State Records. —The Swainson Hawk is a common breeder in the open parts of 
New Mexico from the lowest levels of the plains to the foothills of the mountains, 
[taken May 10, 1917, at Silver City (Kellogg); common in Grant County, May 
6-10, 1920 (Ligon)]. It breeds near Mesilla, Carlsbad, Roswell, Deming, Apache, 
Socorro, Santa Rosa, Las Vegas, and Shiprock, thus nesting almost entirely below 
6,000 feet. The eggs are usually laid in May or early June. Eggs were taken at 
Mesilla in May (Merrill), and young found in a nest June 15, 1913, near Tularosa; 
[eggs seen in a nest, May 10, 1920, 10 miles southwest of Lordsburg. in the Pecos 
Valley, June 16-21, 1918, the species was rather numerous, nesting; and also found 
in goodly numbers along the river tributaries where there were suitable trees. 
They also nest in the Jornado, east of the Rio Grande about Engle, generally the 
first ten days of May (Ligon)]. 
In the fall migration they move up slightly into the mountains and have been 
noted September 10, 1903, near Black Lake at about 9,000 feet (Bailey), and 
Vermejo Park at about the same altitude in late September, 1903 (Howell). Near 
Koehler Junction they were quite common; seen August 27, September 1 and 10, 
1913 (Kaimbach) [between Silver City and Deming many were seen, August 26, 
1917; also between Las Cruces and Socorro many seen, August 27, 1917; and 40 
miles northwest of Silver City, 50 migrating birds seen in the open valleys Sep¬ 
tember 16, 1917 (Ligon)]. A flock containing at least 100 individuals passed over 
the summit of Bear Spring Mountains September 29, 1905, flying 8,000-9,000 
feet high (Hollister). 
