Red-shouldered Hawks
Birds of Prey ... The Sport of Falconry
The Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus, is a medium-sized hawk.
Description:
Adults have a brown head, a reddish breast,long tail and a pale belly with reddish bars. They have a long dark tail with narrow white bars. The red "shoulder" is visible when the bird is perched. Their upperparts are dark with pale spots; they have long yellow legs. Western birds may appear more red; Florida birds are generally paler.
Distribution / Habitat:
Their breeding habitat is deciduous and mixed wooded areas near water in eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern Mexico. They build a stick nest in a major fork of a large tree.
These birds are permanent residents throughout most of their range; northern birds migrate to more southern parts of their range.
Feeding / Diet :
These birds wait on a perch in a forested area and swoop down on prey, also sometimes flying low through clearings to surprise prey. They mainly eat small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, small birds and large insects.
Sound / Call :
They are quite vocal, especially during spring courtship. Their cry is a loud, screaming "kee yar" dropping in pitch, typically uttered 2-4 times.
Breeding / Nesting :
Being a forest bird, its nest is built up high in a tree near moving water. It then returns to the same nest each season.
The 2-5 whitish eggs are incubated for 28 days by both parents with the chicks remaining in the nest for 5-6 weeks. It hunts for small birds and mammals, reptiles, frogs, and crayfish.
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