Posted by Charles Rafowicz on October 9, 2005

Q: Not sure if you got this question, other one was confirmed.

Last week, my four-year-old son and I saw a whole flock of some kind of raptor flying overhead. We were in a rural area, fields and farms, near Fruita Colorado. The birds were riding on a wind current, a really long current that took them on a ride across the valley toward the Colorado National Monument cliffs in the distance. There were 42 of them. (I counted) and they didn't look like buzzards. They looked like some kind of hawk. We've seen golden eagles here, solo, we've seen bald eagles, also solo, turkey buzzards or red-tailed hawks in pairs, but we've never, ever, ever seen forty-two raptors flying together. What were they and what were they doing on that fine autumn morning?

Habitat: field/meadow

State: Colorado

Habitat: field/meadow

A: There are several Buteos (hawks) that come to mind as the possible migrants you saw. You may have seen Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, or Ferruginous Hawks since these are known to travel in groups at times but the Swainson's Hawk is your most likely species. The Swainson's tend to gather in large flocks and move together over favored migration routes so I'd put my money on this bird. I realize that size and color/pattern is not always easy to discern but if you google this bird it may look right. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( October 9, 2005)