Broad-winged Hawk

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 152 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 283 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Broad-winged Hawk?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Broad-winged Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Boston the best place to see a Broad-winged Hawk?

34th of 38. Of the 38 cities where we can rate Broad-winged Hawk sightings, Boston ranks 34th at under 5%. The best odds are in León (México, about 10%), Bogota (Colombia, about 10%) and Medellín (Colombia, about 10%).

Q: Where does the Broad-winged Hawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Broad-winged Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Boston (152 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Buteo platypterus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusButeo (Buteos)
SpeciesButeo platypterus (Broad-winged Hawk)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Boston

In 3 days <5%

152 Verified sightings at Boston

18,103 In all 69 parks From 2019 to 2026

August Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Broad-winged Hawk

The broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a medium-sized hawk of the genus Buteo. During the summer, some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the Neotropics from Mexico south to southern Brazil. Other subspecies are all-year residents on Caribbean islands. As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks' wings are relatively short and broad with a tapered, somewhat pointed appearance. The two types of coloration are a dark morph with fewer white areas and a light morph that is more pale overall. Although the broad-winged hawk's overall population is increasing, populations are declining in some parts of its breeding range because of forest fragmentation.

The broad-winged hawk is a relatively small Buteo species, with a body size from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and a weight 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz). The tail is relatively short, measuring 14.5–19.0 cm (5.7–7.5 in) in length. The tarsi measure from 5.6 to 6.6 cm (2.2 to 2.6 in). As in most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged hawks have relatively... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:21

Colombia · 2026

Call1:28

United States · 2026

Song0:43

France · 2022

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 7 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	~30%
2	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
3	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
4	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
5	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
6	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
7	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
8	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
9	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~20%
10	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
11	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
12	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
13	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
14	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
15	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
16	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
17	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
18	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
20	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
21	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
22	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
23	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
24	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
25	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
26	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
27	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
28	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
29	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
30	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
31	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
32	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
33	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
34	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
35	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
36	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
37	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
38	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
39	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
40	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
41	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
42	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
43	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
44	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
45	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
46	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
47	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
48	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
52	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
53	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
54	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
55	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
56	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
57	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
58	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
59	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
60	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
61	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
62	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
63	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
64	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
65	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
66	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
67	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
68	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
69	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	León	🇲🇽 México	~10%
2	Bogota	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
3	Medellín	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
4	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
5	Minneapolis [Saint Paul]	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
6	Toluca	🇲🇽 México	<5%
7	Austin	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
8	Mexico City	🇲🇽 México	<5%
9	Tegucigalpa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
10	Houston	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Ecomuseum Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
2	Maine Wildlife Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Potter Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Carolina Raptor Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	Chouette à voir!	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
7	Maymont Farm	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Boston

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Buteo lineatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo lagopus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Circus cyaneus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pandion haliaetus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Coragyps atratus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Turdus migratorius

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Cyanocitta cristata

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 152 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 283 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Broad-winged Hawk?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Broad-winged Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Boston the best place to see a Broad-winged Hawk?

34th of 38

Of the 38 cities where we can rate Broad-winged Hawk sightings, Boston ranks 34th at under 5%. The best odds are in León (México, about 10%), Bogota (Colombia, about 10%) and Medellín (Colombia, about 10%).

Where does the Broad-winged Hawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Broad-winged Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Boston (152 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Boston

Broad-winged Hawk

About the Broad-winged Hawk

Sounds

Recent sightings of Broad-winged Hawk in Boston

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Boston

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk

Bald Eagle

Hen Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Osprey

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture

American Robin

Blue Jay

Northern Cardinal

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston?

When is the best time to see a Broad-winged Hawk in Boston?

What time of day is best to see a Broad-winged Hawk?

Is Boston the best place to see a Broad-winged Hawk?

Where does the Broad-winged Hawk sighting chance come from?