Red-shouldered Hawk

Males are 43 to 58 cm long, weigh about 550 g and have a wingspan of 96 cm . Females are slightly larger at 48 to 61 cm in length, a weight of about 700 g , and a wingspan of about 105 cm . Adults have a brownish head, a reddish chest, and a pale belly with reddish bars. Their tail, which is quite long by Buteo standards, is marked with narrow white bars. The red shoulder is visible when the bird is perched as seen in the image to the right. These hawks' upper parts are dark with pale spots and they have long yellow legs. Western birds may appear more red while Florida birds are generally paler. The wings of adults are more heavily barred on the upper side. Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks are most likely to be confused with juvenile Broad-winged Hawks, but can be distinguished by their long tail, crescent-like wing markings, and a more flapping, Accipiter-like flight style.

The Red-shouldered Hawk is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. Contents - * 1 Description * 2 Taxonomy * 3 Behavior * 3.1 Food and feeding * 3. More

* The Red-shouldered Hawk is divided into five subspecies. The four eastern forms contact each other, but the West Coast form is separated from the eastern forms by 1600 km (1000 mi). The northern form is the largest. The form in very southern Florida is the palest, having a gray head and very faint barring on the chest. More

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a widespread raptor that is found in many different forest types throughout its range. It is considered a species of special concern in many northern states and in Canada, although populations appear to be increasing in many areas. As a top predator, conserving populations is important, and this will require knowledge of precise habitat requirements, sensitivity to fragmentation and disturbance, and how these vary across the species More

Red-shouldered hawks have longer tails than red-tailed hawks. Iris darkens with age and cere becomes less greenish and more yellow. They have four notched primaries. Flight: Active flight is accipiter-like with 3-5 quick, stiff shallow wing beats, then a period of glide. They soar with wingtips slightly drooping, and do not hover. Voice: A loud, screaming "kee yar" dropping in pitch, typically uttered 2-4 times. More

The Red-shouldered Hawk is found in woodlands along creeks, lakes, and larger waterways, a habitat it usually shares with the Barred Owl. Like the Barred Owl, this hawk has a piercing call that is distinctive and highly audible. They have also become accustomed to nesting in residential areas with suitable habitat, as well as city parks, office parks, and college campuses. More

The Red-shouldered hawk is a large, broad-winged hawk with a relatively long tail and heavy body. Buteo lineatus demonstrates reverse size sexual dimorphism. The average male is 18.3 inches long, whereas the average female is 20.3 inches long. The hawk generally ranges from 18 to 22 inches in length. While the female and male are very similar in appearance, the immature and adult Red-shouldered hawks do exhibit slightly different markings. More

Red-shouldered Hawk swoops down and grabs his dinner. It is a very fast and efficient bird of prey. type=text Red-Shouldered Hawk in Early Morning Light Photographic Poster Print Description - The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium to large hawk measuring 15 to 19 inches in length and a wingspan of 3 to 3 ½ feet. Adults have a brown head and a red tinted chest. Their belly is pale in color with reddish bars. More

Red-shouldered hawks are effective hunters, helping to maintain a balance of predators and prey in woodland and grassland areas. Their diet includes rabbits, rodents, and other small mammals, as well as small birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, insects, and crayfish. Nest-raiding birds, snakes, mammals, and humans prey on red-shouldered hawks. More

Red-shouldered hawk in migration Red-shouldered hawk in migration Date: 03/21/2006 Views: 168 1 vote 1 N/A Tags: bird, birding, ontario, hawk, migration, raptor, spring, beamer pt, red-shouldered hawk, beamer point, grimsby, hawk watch, raptors, nikon d2x, 2006, March Red-shouldered hawk in migration Red-shouldered hawk in migration Date: 03/21/2006 Views: 179 1 vote 2 N/A Tags: bird, birding, ontario, hawk, migration, raptor, spring, beamer pt, red-shouldered hawk, beamer point, grimsby, hawk watch, More

The red-shouldered hawk has been conspicuously absent from much of Ohio including Northwest Ohio. Their numbers have been down over the past couple decades but now seem to be making a bit of a come back. Red-shouldered hawk The Red-shouldered Hawk They are still not a frequent sight in Northwest Ohio, but more and more of these birds are being seen here especially in and around the Oak Openings Region. More

In Ohio, red-shouldered hawks breeding season lasts from April to late June. In their nesting territory, they are vocal early in breeding season, and then become secretive later in the season. Generally by March they build or rebuild their nests with sticks, leafy twigs, leaves and lichen. Pairs or future generations usually remain in the same territories and reuse the same nest-sites for many years. The longest record of a nest used by red-shouldered hawks is 45 years. More

Red-shouldered hawks are usually found along river valleys and moist lowland woods. They compete with red-tailed hawks for nesting sites, and this may explain some of their distribution pattern, as they may be forced into closed canopy woods that the red-tailed hawk does not use. NESTING: The nest is made of sticks and placed in a crotch high in a tree. Red-shouldered hawks reuse the same territory and nest if available in succeeding years. More

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk ranging from eastern North America to the coast of California and northern and northeastern-central Mexico. Most of these birds are permanent residents, but some northern populations will migrate to central Mexico in the winter months. Breeding habitats include deciduous and mixed woodlands, typically near a body of water. This species swoops from a perch to catch prey, and typically eats amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, birds, insects, voles, mice and chipmunks. More

The Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a forest hawk listed as an endangered species in New Jersey. It is not highly visible and can go undetected in wetland forests where it lives and nests. * Video * Red-shouldered Hawk Image of Red-shouldered hawk.Red-shouldered hawk. Hawks, eagles, and owls are known as raptors or birds of prey. Some of the more familiar species are Bald eagles, Peregrine falcons, and Ospreys. More

The Red-Shouldered hawk is a member of the Falconiformes order, the order of diurnal birds of prey. It is also a buteo, the genus of robust birds, usually hawks. The name “buteo” means hawk in Latin while “lineatus” means “striped” in Latin. Red-shouldered Hawks are medium sized birds of prey, with the females being larger than the males. Males weigh about 550g (1.2lbs), are 43-58cm (17-23in) long, and have a wingspan of 96cm (36in). Females weigh 700g (1. More

An adult red-shouldered hawk is a vivid exception. Mature (adult) red-shoulders are brick-red on the chest, and the patches on the upperwing that give the bird its common name are rusty-red. This bright rust color contrasts with the flight feathers (the large feathers that make flight possible) of the wing, which are boldly striped with black and white in such a way that the feathers look checkered. The tail is black, with 3 or 4 narrow stripes. More

Red-shouldered Hawk Habitat Model go to: USFWS Gulf of Maine Watershed Habitat Analysis go to: Species Table Feedback: We welcome your suggestions on improving this model! Draft Date: March 2001 Species: Red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus Use of Study Area Resources: Reproduction throughout study area, year around use of the southern part of the study area. More

Red-shouldered Hawk is large. It is a broad-winged hawk, with long tail and heavy body. Adult has brown head, dark brown back and reddish underparts, with dark brown streaks. It has reddish shoulders and wings linings, and extensive pale spotting above. It shows dark streaks on the reddish chest. Female is similar in plumage but larger than male. Juvenile shows extensive variations. Buteo lineatus presents more finely streaked breast than others subspecies. More

The red-shouldered hawk is one of the most beautifully marked raptors in North America. Adults have a rufous breast and shoulders, four or five equal-width white tail bars, and much black and white barring on the flight feathers. This handsome hawk is a locally common, permanent resident in Missouri, often seen along well timbered Ozark rivers and the wet woodlands of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Duck Creek Wildlife Management Area. More

DESCRIPTION: The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium sized raptor that is 16 to 18 inches in length and has roughly a 40-inch wingspan. This hawk tends to be dark brown to black on top with rufous colored shoulders. Its belly is pale to white in color with rufous barring. The tail is black with white barring. In flight, this raptor’s under wing coverts are rufous colored and the primary and secondary flight feathers are dark brown to black with white barring. More

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a member of the genus Buteo, a group of medium-sized raptors with robust bodies and broad wings. Members of this genus are known as buzzards in Europe, but hawks in North America. There are 5 recognized subspecies of Buteo lineatus, which vary in range and in coloration: * B. l. lineatus (Gmelin, 1788) * B. l. More

A red-shouldered hawk rests on a foggy morning on the Central Coast of California, taken by Michael Smith, Cayucos, CA, 6/2004 Red-shouldered hawks live in dense forests, open forests, forest edges, and freshwater marshes and swamps. They prefer to have a water source nearby. They like to perch at low to mid-levels. These hawks eat more reptiles as a percentage of their diet than any North American hawk. More

The red-shouldered hawk is a slim, narrow-winged, long-tailed buteo. It obtains prey by still-hunting from perches and scanning the ground below. The 17- 24 inch (43-61 cm) adult is blackish-brown above with extensive black and white checkering, especially apparent on the wings. Rufous streaking and edging is apparent all over the body, but is most evident on the shoulders. The tail is blackish with three or four narrow white bands. The breast, belly and wing linings are rufous with black streaks. More

* Distribution: Red-shouldered hawks are found in eastern North America from southern Canada to northern Mexico and in the western United States from southern parts of Oregon to Baja California. Birds in the northern parts of their range are migratory; birds in the southern parts of their range probably remain as pairs in their territory throughout the year. More

Picture of Buteo lineatus above has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.
Original source: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA
Author: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA
Permission: Some rights reserved
Order : Falconiformes
Family : Accipitridae
Genus : Buteo
Species : lineatus
Authority : (Gmelin, 1788)