# Red-shouldered Hawk (*Buteo lineatus*) The Red-shouldered Hawk is a beautiful bird with bright red shoulders and a loud call. It loves to soar high in the sky and can often be seen perched on trees, watching for its next meal. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 135 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Red-shouldered Hawk](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Florida_everglades_hawks_%2817701195469%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: john581, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Florida_everglades_hawks_%2817701195469%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Red-shouldered Hawk has a rich reddish-brown barred underside, with broad black and white bands on its tail. Its upperparts are mottled brown, and it sports distinctive rufous-red patches on its shoulders, giving it its name. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Buteo ## Interesting facts - A young hawk can fly within six weeks of hatching, learning to hunt quickly! - Red-shouldered Hawks often 'still hunt', waiting patiently on a perch for prey. - Their nests are often reused for many years, sometimes just needing a quick renovation! - They love to eat snakes and frogs, making them helpful pest controllers in wetlands. ## Special abilities - **Eagle Eye Vision:** Red-shouldered Hawks can spot tiny prey from high in the trees because of their incredibly sharp eyesight. - **Silent Hunter Wings:** Red-shouldered Hawks have specialized feathers that allow nearly silent flight, helping them ambush unsuspecting prey. - **Powerful Talons:** Red-shouldered Hawks possess strong, sharp talons that help them firmly grip and carry their captured prey. - **Forest Sentinel Call:** Red-shouldered Hawks use a loud, distinctive 'kee-aah' call that helps them declare territory and communicate. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-58 cm - **Wingspan:** 90-127 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-0.7 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 28-33 days - **Migration Distance:** 1500 km ## Diet & Feeding These hawks are carnivores that hunt and eat small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and sometimes other birds. - **Primary Foods:** Voles, Mice, Frogs, Snakes, Crayfish, Lizards - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Meadow Vole (*Microtus pennsylvanicus*) — A primary small mammal prey item for the hawk. - **Hunts:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Rana catesbeiana*) — Common amphibian prey, especially near water. - **Hunts:** Common Garter Snake (*Thamnophis sirtalis*) — Frequently preys on various non-venomous snakes. - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — Larger owls sometimes prey on hawk eggs, young, or adults. - **Shelter:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Often builds nests in large, mature trees like oaks. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Ambush Predator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ambush-predator): An ambush predator hunts by patiently waiting and concealing itself, then launching a sudden attack when unsuspecting prey comes within range. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red-shouldered Hawk? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Red-shouldered Hawk? 38-58 cm ### What is Red-shouldered Hawk's wingspan? 90-127 cm ### How much does Red-shouldered Hawk weigh? 0.5-0.7 kg ### How long does Red-shouldered Hawk live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Red-shouldered Hawk move? 65 km/h ### What does Red-shouldered Hawk eat? These hawks are carnivores that hunt and eat small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and sometimes other birds. ### Where is Red-shouldered Hawk usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Arastradero Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arastradero-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Ashley River Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashley-river-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Atchison Village](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/atchison-village) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Bean Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bean-hill-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Belltown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belltown-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see Red-shouldered Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-shouldered-hawk) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Red-shouldered Hawk: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-shouldered-hawk)