Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized buteo closely tied to moist woodlands, especially bottomland forest and areas near rivers and swamps, across the eastern United States and parts of California. Its rufous-barred underparts and boldly banded tail make it one of the more colorful and easily recognized hawks in its range.

Unlike the more open-country Red-tailed Hawk, it favors wooded habitats and is often first detected by its loud, distinctive call before being seen.

Identifying Red-shouldered Hawk Feathers

• Primaries: dark brown-black above with a translucent pale crescent (window) near the base visible in flight; the underside shows contrasting black-and-white barring.
• Tail feathers: strikingly banded in broad black and narrow white bars, more boldly patterned than the tail of most other regional buteos.
• Shoulder/covert feathers: rich rufous-red, giving the species its name, and a useful field mark distinct from the plainer shoulder feathers of other buteos.
• Body feathers: underparts feathers are barred rufous and white, quite different from the streaked or plain patterns of similarly sized hawks.
• The combination of rufous barring below and bold black-and-white tail banding readily separates this species' feathers from Red-tailed and Broad-winged Hawks in the same range.

Plumage

Adults show a reddish-rufous head, breast, and shoulder patch, with the belly and underwing coverts barred rufous and white, dark brown upperparts, and a tail boldly banded black and white. Juveniles are browner overall with heavy dark streaking below rather than barring, and a more subtly banded tail, gaining full adult plumage after a couple of years. Sexes look alike in plumage.

Habitat & Range

Found across the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, with a separate population in California, favoring moist deciduous and mixed woodland, riparian corridors, and swamp forest. Northern populations migrate south for winter, while southern and California populations are largely resident.

Behavior & Field Notes

This species hunts from a woodland perch for small mammals, amphibians, and other prey, often near water. It builds a stick nest high in a large tree, frequently reused across years, and is notably vocal, giving a distinctive, often-mimicked 'kee-yer' scream. A rufous-barred body feather or boldly black-and-white banded tail feather found in moist eastern woodland is a strong indicator of this species.