Red-shouldered Hawk
Scientific Name: Buteo lineatus
Category: bird
Brief Description
A medium-sized forest hawk featuring a distinctive rufous chest and black-and-white checkered wings.
Characteristics
It has a medium-sized build with a reddish-brown chest and belly. The upper wings are dark with prominent white bars/checkering. In flight, it shows translucent crescents near the wingtips.
Habitat
Typically found in deciduous or mixed forests, often near water sources like rivers, swamps, or wooded wetlands. It has also adapted to suburban areas with sufficient tree cover.
When to Find It
Diurnal; most active during the day. In many parts of its range, it is a year-round resident, though northern populations migrate south for winter.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Ecological Role
As an apex predator, it maintains balanced populations of small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. It is also an indicator species for forest health.
Easily Confused With
Cooper's Hawk (longer tail, different underpart patterns) and Red-tailed Hawk (larger, lacks the bold black-and-white wing checkering).
Observation Tips
Listen for their loud, piercing 'kee-aah' call, which is much more frequent than other hawks. Look for them perched on lower branches or power lines near water.
Interesting Facts
Red-shouldered Hawks are very territorial and will return to the same nesting site year after year. Blue Jays are known to mimic their call to warn other birds or clear out a bird feeder.