Red-shouldered Hawk

A medium-sized hawk known for its 'shoulders' of reddish-orange and its iconic vocal 'kee-aah' call. This feather represents the classic barred wing pattern that helps distinguish it in flight from the larger Red-tailed Hawk.

Distinctive bold horizontal banding. Alternating wide bars of warm brownish-grey and creamy off-white. The dorsal surface shows stronger contrast than the lighter ventral side. The rachis is white at the base, darkening toward the tip.

Pennaceous and tightly interlocked throughout most of the vane for flight efficiency, transitioning to a soft, plumulaceous (downy) texture at the base near the calamus.

Smooth and stiff to the touch on the vane surface; the leading edge is slightly more rigid than the trailing edge. It has a matte finish without significant iridescence.

Wide, even grayish-brown and white banding; symmetrical bar widths; white calamus; absence of the 'owl-like' velvet texture.

Deciduous or mixed woodlands, often near water sources like rivers, swamps, or marshes. They prefer areas with tall trees for nesting and open understories for hunting.

Year-round resident throughout the Eastern United States and California; northern populations in the Northeast and Canada may migrate south to Mexico during winter.

Apex predator of small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles; helps control rodent and snake populations within woodland ecosystems.

Broad-winged Hawk (smaller, fewer bands), Red-tailed Hawk (secondaries are more mottled/less cleanly barred), Barred Owl (softer texture with fuzzy edges).

They are highly territorial and will return to the same nesting territory for many years. Blue Jays are famous for mimicking the Red-shouldered Hawk's scream to scare other birds away from feeders.

Good to Excellent; the vane is mostly intact with minor separation (fraying) near the mid-section and base. No significant sun-bleaching or parasite damage is visible.