Red-shouldered Hawk

This feather belongs to the Red-shouldered Hawk, a medium-sized raptor known for its striking rufous chest and 'checkered' black-and-white wing patterns. Adult birds have a distinct reddish wash on the upper wing coverts (the 'shoulders'). They are smaller than Red-tailed Hawks and possess a much more vocal personality, often giving a sharp 'kee-aah' call.

Deep chocolate brown to blackish-brown base with distinct, crisp white transverse bars or spots near the tip and edges. The underside is typically paler with more muted grey-brown tones.

Mostly pennaceous and tightly interlocked for flight efficiency, with a small amount of plumulaceous (fluffy) down at the very base near the calamus.

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat glossy on the dorsal surface. The leading edge is firm to maintain airflow during flight, while the trailing edge is slightly softer.

The bold white-and-dark banding pattern at the distal end of the feather and the specific width-to-length ratio identify this as a Buteo secondary, specifically a Red-shouldered Hawk due to the contrast.

Inland deciduous or mixed forests, often near water sources such as swamps, rivers, and flooded woodlands. Often found in suburban areas with mature trees.

Common throughout the Eastern United States, parts of Mexico, and a disjunct population along the coast of California and Baja California.

An apex predator in forest ecosystems, keeping populations of small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians in balance. They are excellent indicators of healthy wetland/forest corridors.

Broad-winged Hawk (smaller, fewer and wider bands) and Red-tailed Hawk (generally lack the crisp white spotting on dark secondaries; usually more mottled or brown-banded).

Red-shouldered Hawks are highly territorial; nesting pairs will often return to the same nesting territory for many years, sometimes even using the same nest base for decades.

Fair to Good. There is distinctive wear and fraying along the trailing edge (lateral vane), and the calamus appears somewhat weathered, suggesting it was a naturally molted feather exposed to the elements.

ALONG A ROADWAY IN Myrtle beach SC