Red-shouldered Hawk
(Buteo lineatus)
Red-Shouldered Hawk by Laura Frazier
Description & Range:
Red-shouldered hawks are medium-sized raptors, approximately 15-19 inches long with a wingspan of 37-42 inches. They have broad, rounded wings and medium-length tails that fan out when flying. Adults have dark brown and white checkered wings and a warm red barring on the breast, and a black tail with narrow white bands. All individuals have a pale crescent shape near the wingtip that is visible during flight.
Red-shouldered hawks are found along both the east and west coast of the United States. The west coast, mid-Atlantic, and southern populations are typically year-round residents, while north-eastern breeding populations migrate south over winter.
Habitat:
Red-shouldered hawks primarily live in forest habitat. On the east coast, they live in deciduous woodlands and mixed forest, often near rivers and swamps. They nest in tall trees in areas with an open understory, which makes it easier to hunt. Occasionally, they can be found in suburban areas that contain a combination of houses and woodlands.
Diet:
Red-shouldered hawks eat small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Common prey include voles, chipmunks, frogs, toads, snakes, and crayfish. They will occasionally eat small birds such as sparrows, starlings, and doves.
Reproduction:
Red-shouldered hawks breed once per year between April and July. Females will lay 3-4 eggs that hatch after approximately 33 days of incubation. Young will start to leave the nest 5-7 weeks after hatching, but still rely on the parents for food for another 8-10 weeks. Mating pairs are monogamous and will often use the same nest each year, refurbishing it with new sticks, twigs, and leaves each spring.
Sounds:
The most common call made by red-shouldered hawks is a repeated shrill scream that sounds like “kee-aah.”
Behavior:
Red-shouldered hawks soar and circle with their wings and tail spread out while flying. When hunting, they perch in trees near bodies of water and search for prey below. Red-shouldered hawks are territorial and can become aggressive when threatened, and will fight intruding hawks, owls, and crows. While mating, males perform a “sky dance” during which the male soars up in the air, followed by a series of steep dives and upward spirals toward the female before perching upon her back.
Similar Species:
The red-shouldered hawk is often confused with the red-tailed hawk, which are both found in similar habitats. The red-shouldered hawk is smaller than the red-tailed hawk and appears slimmer when perched. Red-tailed hawks without a reddish tail have a dark band across a whitish breast (“belly band”) that can help distinguish them from red-shouldered hawks.
Sources:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/id
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-shouldered-hawk
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Buteo_lineatus/
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/woodland-wildlife-spotlight-red-shouldered-hawk/
