Though less conspicuous and somewhat smaller than their red-tailed cousins, red-shouldered hawks are fairly common throughout the eastern half of the U.S. and along the coast of California. Identification of this buteo is generally made by the fine, rust-colored barring on its chest, its relatively long, banded tail and its loud, high-pitched, descending call; the red shoulder patches, for which it is named, are not always apparent.
Preferring wooded swamps and riparian forest, red-shouldered hawks usually hunt from a low perch and feed on a wide range of prey, from mice and voles to lizards, frogs, snakes and songbirds. Often considered to be the diurnal counterpart of barred owls, both raptors share the same habitat and both have been threatened by the gradual destruction of forest and wetlands. Ironically, red-shouldered hawks, though often heckled by jays and crows themselves, are known to join these birds when they mob great-horned owls, red-tails and other large raptors.
Like many birds of prey, red-shouldered hawks nest in late winter or early spring; 2-4 eggs are generally laid in a bulky nest, high in a tree, and are incubated by both parents. The young hatch within a month and are usually self-sufficient by summer. While most red-shouldered hawks are nonmigratory, those that nest in northern portions of their range often winter in the southern U.S. or in Mexico.
