Red-shouldered Hawk - Ross Feldner

If you’re in mature woods and near water you may have the thrill of spotting a magnificent Red-shouldered Hawk.

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a slender, forest-dwelling Buteo species found throughout much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, as well as in Oregon, California, and Mexico. These hawks prefer large, mature, contiguous forests with mixed deciduous and coniferous trees and open understories. In the early 1900s, the Red-shouldered Hawk was the most common Buteo in New England, but intensive 20th century logging of mature forests led to loss of suitable habitat, which in turn let to increased competition and predation from Great-horned Owls.

The eggs are incubated for about five weeks, mainly by the female. After the eggs hatch, the female broods the nestlings continually for a week. While the female remains at the nest, the male provides the food. The male brings food to a spot near the nest and then calls for the female, who accepts the prey and delivers it to the young.

Red-shouldered Hawks feed on many types of prey including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. In most of the Eastern North America, Eastern Chipmunks and Meadow Voles are the main prey. Red-shouldered Hawks are chiefly perch-hunters. When in open areas Red-shouldered Hawks often hunt from a low, coursing flight similar to a harrier.