COMMON NAME: Red-shouldered Hawk
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Buteo lineatus
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS:
Slightly smaller than the red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawks are dark above
with rufous streaking. Reddish patches on the wrist and upper back give the
appearance of red shoulders. The underside is light with rufous barring on
breast and belly. The tail is dark brown with four or five white bands and
a white tip. The immature bird has less coloration at the shoulders and a tail
that is indistinctly barred.
RANGE:
Found in the eastern half of North America, generally south of the Great Lakes,
and east of central Minnesota. They are found as far south as Florida and northeastern
Mexico. A separate population is found along the humid Pacific coast.
HABITAT:
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.
FEEDING HABITS:
Like the red-tailed hawk, this hawk will feed on a variety of prey, primarily
small rodents, amphibians, and reptiles.
RAPTOR CENTER DATA:
As befitting their rare status in this part of the country, The Raptor Center
clinic admits very few red-shouldered hawks.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
Once considered the most common hawk in the northeastern United States, this
bird is thought to be declining in the east. It has been on the Audubon Society "Blue
List" since 1972. Several states in the Midwest have listed this bird
for special protection. Never very common in Minnesota, it is now listed as
a species of "special concern."
Other Web Resources:
Red-shouldered Hawk Range
Minnesota Ornithologists' Union bird range map
Additional Information (not specifically about hawks):
Publications
