Return of the Swainson’s

In January 2023, a juvenile Swainson’s Hawk/Buteo swainsoni, a species normally found on the other side of the Mississippi, showed up on Staten Island. It was soon spotted hanging out at the SIMS recycling center on the Brooklyn side, presumably for the rats. The odd thing, though, is that it seems to have come back to Brooklyn every year since in the dead of winter.

This year’s sighting, last week. Note that the bird, which is presumed to be the same individual, is now sporting adult plumage. Unfortunately, you can’t get into that facility unless you’re a gull or crow, so these photos are from far away.

The crows were unwilling to share. The Swainson’s was buzzed while perched, and when something caused a storm of gulls and crows to whirl into the sky, a couple of crows chased the hawk to the north.

2/18

2/21