Purple Peavine or Wild Sweet Pea
Lathyrus eucosmus
Family: Fabaceae/Leguminosae

The Swainson’s hawk is a summertime resident at PCC. This large hawk winters on the pampas of Argentina and returns to the prairies of North America in May. They nest at this end of their migration route, so we are fortunate to see their young, which fledge, or start to fly, in late June and July.

The Swainson’s hawk is similar in size to the red-tailed hawk and is easily confused with it, particularly when perched. Look for the brownish “bib” on the perched Swainson’s to distinguish it from the red-tail. See the perched photo.

In flight, the Swainson’s is easy to spot because of the dark primary feathers on the trailing edge of the wing. See the in-flight photo. Once you identify your first Swainson’s in flight, you’ll probably see lots of them during the spring and summer, until they migrate south in the fall.

Lately, a pair of Swainson’s hawks have been hanging out near two trees, at the northern end of the Aurora site, just south of Jewell Avenue.

During breeding season, the Swainson’s hawk eats mainly small rodents like mice, voles, and ground squirrels. Unlike most other hawks, however, outside of breeding season, their diet consists mainly of insects like grasshoppers and locusts. They catch flying insects with their feet and eat their catch while flying.

When these beautiful creatures migrate, they gather in “kettles” of hundreds or even thousands. They will settle into fields where they can hunt insects, sometimes chasing them on foot. Seeing a kettle of these birds is exciting.