Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Buteo
Species: Buteo lineatus
Red-shouldered Hawk
Eastern Red-shouldered Hawk
Woodland Hawk
Swamp Hawk (informal)
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized woodland raptor common in the eastern United States. Adults show rich reddish barring across the chest and pale banding on the wings, while juveniles are more brown and streaked, often making identification more difficult at a distance.
This species is known for its upright posture when perched and its habit of sitting high in trees overlooking forest openings, streams, or clearings. The call is loud and distinctive, often described as a repeated, rising scream that carries far through the woods.
Unlike the larger Red-tailed Hawk, the Red-shouldered Hawk prefers wooded environments and is often found near water, where it hunts small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
The Red-shouldered Hawk is found throughout the eastern United States, parts of the Midwest, and along the Pacific Coast in a separate western population.
It is common in:
This species prefers mature forests, especially near rivers, wetlands, or lowlands.
Red-shouldered Hawks favor:
They are often seen perched quietly for long periods, watching for movement below. Unlike some hawks that prefer open fields, this species is comfortable deep in wooded areas.
They nest in tall trees and may return to the same territory year after year.
Typical prey includes:
They hunt from a perch, dropping quickly onto prey once it is spotted.
This photograph is not the best image of the species, but it is one I kept because of where it was taken. The hawk was perched high in a tree just beyond my back porch, close enough to see clearly but far enough that the camera struggled to get a clean shot through the branches.
Red-shouldered Hawks have been seen in this area more than once, and with any luck there will be better opportunities to photograph this bird in the future. One of the advantages of living near wooded ground and water is that the same animals often return year after year.
Sometimes the best field notes come from the places closest to home.
The Red-shouldered Hawk is one of the most recognizable woodland raptors in the eastern United States, not because it is rare, but because it allows people to notice it. Its loud call, visible perches, and habit of living near both forests and people make it a species many observers remember once they learn to identify it.
Like many birds of prey, it benefits from preserved forest habitat and clean waterways.
No special management is required for this species in most of its range, but healthy populations depend on:
Protecting habitat for species like the Red-shouldered Hawk also protects many smaller animals that share the same environment.
All photographs and written material on this site are shared for educational, artistic, and research purposes.
The mission of the Cernunnos Foundation is to observe the natural world, document what we find, and make that knowledge freely available for others to learn from and build upon.