The Broad-winged Hawk typically nests in deciduous forest where the nest is generally placed in a main crotch of the trunk, generally in the lower third of the forest canopy. It may build its own nest or refurbish an old raptor, crow, or squirrel nest. If an old nest is used, at least two years elapse between the first nesting and the second. A typical nest constructed from scratch is small (smaller than both Red-shouldered and Cooper's Hawks) and loosely made of twigs and sticks. The inside is lined with bark and lichen. Sprigs of greenery are brought to the nest frequently, throughout the incubation and into the nestling stage. Construction, which can be intermittent, can take two to five weeks.
The clutch ranges from two to five eggs with an average of two or three. The egg is short elliptical in shape and varies in color with a background of white, cream, or pale bluish and variably heavy dots or patches of shades of brown. The egg averages 1.9 inches (48.9 millimeters) in length and 1.5 inches (39.3 millimeters) in width. Clutch-size increases from the southern to the northern parts of its range.
The female incubates 28 to 31 days while the male hunts. Upon hearing the approaching male's food transfer call, the female leaves the nest to join him. While she feeds off the nest, the male will briefly cover the eggs. After incubation the male may deliver food directly to the nest but only the female tears the prey apart and feeds the young. Extra food may be cached. The young start to show emerging primaries and secondaries at nine to 12 days. The young begin to walk out onto nearby branches at 29 to 31 days. They begin sustained horizontal flight during their fifth or sixth week. At about six weeks the young begin flying toward approaching parents with food. Although they receive food from their parents until seven or eight weeks old, they start hunting independently almost as soon as they fledge and are capable of capturing prey at 54 days. The Broad-winged Hawk is single-brooded and it is not known if it will lay a replacement clutch.
#Which species lays this egg?;question\Q32\Q32.wav
