Red Shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus
The red shouldered hawk are common for the wet deciduous woodlands. The are the noisiest of the buteos (latin name for buzzard), especially during spring because of courtship.
The hawk preys on frogs, snakes, lizards, and small mammals. Females are larger than males, both female and males are alike in appearance.
A medium-size bird with rounded wing tips. The adults have brown outer feathers with lighter feather edges and some have streaking on the head. Rufous (red) on the upper wing coverts gives the “red shoulders.” The primary feathers are barred or checkered black and white, the dark tail has 3 white bands. The underparts are red and white. The young have brown outer feathers, with less red colouring on the shoulders. The undersides vary with dark streaks and a brown tail has multiple narrow bands.
Flight: all ages show a distinct light crescent at the base of the primary feathers. The wingbeats are quick and shallow with bursts of quick to aid with gliding. The hawk soars on a flat wing which are held forward, when gliding the wings are cupped giving a hunched look.
They have long legs, sharp eyesight to aid in identifying and catching prey.
A loud, repeated kee-ahh, often in groups of 8–10 repetitions.
A widespread breeder throughout East, into southern Canada. Found throughout the South, into eastern and southern Texas. California subspecies are coastal and in the Central Valley, up into Oregon and southern Washington.
Breeding: Nests are placed in deciduous woodlands, usually near river bottoms or swamps.They are the habitat with the barred owl. They construct the nest 6-15 meters off the ground in trees. They are monogamous and very territorial. The courtship displays entails the female and male flying side by side in large circles and using vocalization to communicate. Males also might do a sky dance which involves them flying high and making many steep dives, these displays can be observed in late morning and early afternoon. They breed once a year between April and July. The nest, which is made from twigs, sticks and leave is used for several years but maintenance does happen.
The eggs are white with brown blotches on. The eggs are then incubated for 33 days, usually the egg that was laid first is the first to hatch. The hatch lings are born helpless and depend on mother and father 100% (altricial). The father brings the female food to feed to the chicks. When the chicks reach 6 weeks they begin to leave the nest, but they are still fed by the parents for a remaining 10 weeks. At the age of 19 weeks the chicks are independent.
Migration: northern birds migrate to southern states and into Mexico. Southern forms are non-migratory.
Callahan, P. 1974. The Magnificent Birds of Prey. New York: Holiday House
Crocoll, Scott T. Red-shouldered Hawk: Buteo Lineatus. American Ornithologists' Union, 1994.
Society, National. 'Red-Shouldered Hawks, Red-Shouldered Hawk Pictures, Red-Shouldered Hawk Facts - National Geographic'. National Geographic. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Web, Animal. 'Biokids - Kids' Inquiry Of Diverse Species, Buteo Lineatus, Red-Shouldered Hawk: INFORMATION'. Biokids.umich.edu. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
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