MDI Birds
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    Broad-winged Hawk / Buteo platypterus

    : Breeds. mid May-early Aug in mature deciduous and mixed woodlands. Hunts sub-canopy and difficult to detect unless vocalizing.

    : mid Apr-early May (adults), with from late Mar, and late May/early Jun (subadults). early Sep-late Sep but occasionally given favorable winds mid/late Sep, with from mid Aug and to mid Oct. The Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch is a good, if weather dependent, place to view fall movement.

    : Jan 8, 2021 in Bar Harbor and Feb 3, 2021 on the Schoodic Peninsula.

    Miscellany: The peak Broad-wing fall migration normally occurs in a narrow window Sep 17-25 but can be a bit earlier or later depending on weather conditions. Peak days at the Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch are typically in the low to mid-hundreds but as many as 3000 have been recorded. Winds of moderate strength from a NNE to a NW direction are all but required to drift migrating birds off the mainland to the point where they're visible from MDI hawkwatches.

    You can learn more about Broad-winged Hawks and see images here.

    Last Updated: August 23rd, 2023

    Locations

    1. 1. Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch 44.353147, -68.226166