The Red-shouldered Hawk's wings are often described as "plank-like": "long, narrow,
and clean-edged" with a slotting of the primaries. The tails of these Hawks are broad
and short: juveniles' tails appear longer. Overall, the Red-shouldered Hawk has a smooth,
clean-cut appearance (Dunne-Hawks 30,31).
In Flight
A much more active flier than the Red-tailed Hawk, the Red-shouldered Hawk has
a quicker wing-beat pattern and soars "in tighter circles than most other similar-sized
Buteos" (Scholz 148) During courtship rituals, the Red-shouldered Hawk has been known
to circle far into the sky, then pause, and dive, recovering just before the tree line, afterward
repeating the entire ordeal. (Dunne-Wind 85)
Natural History
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a widely distributed species throughout the Eastern and far
Western United States and Canada. In the Southeast, the Red-shouldered Hawk is "most
prevelant in...woodlands and in damp deciduous growths around ponds and lakes."
(Scholz 148). This species is generally associated with "mixed coniferous-deciduous
woodlands, rather moist hardwood forests, swamps, river bottomlands, and wooded
marshy margins..."(Johnsgard 204). Red-shoulders tend to be more secretive than
similar Buteos, and, thus, prefer not to inhabit open areas.
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a permenant resident in most of it's Eastern range (Dunne-Wind 83).
In fact, the only species that are migratory occupy territory in Canada and
the Northern U.S. Population decline is an issue for the Red-shouldered
Hawk. "It was listed as endangered, threatened, or a species of special
concern in 17 states as of 1988" (Johnsgard 207). Habitat loss and
fragmentation are probably two major causes of this decline. (Dunne-Wind 85)
Geography
| North America: Continental U.S.; Canada | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Eastern North America: United States east of Mississippi; Ontario and eastern Canada | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Southeastern United States: AL,AR,DE,DC,FL,GA,KY,MD,NC,SC,TN,VA,WV | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Southern Appalachain States: AL,GA,KY,MD,NC,SC,TN,VA,WV | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Coastal Plain | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Piedmont | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Blue Ridge Mountains | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Great Smokey Mountains National Park | Yes | Peterson 1980 |
| Ridge and Valley | ||
| Cumberland Plateau | ||
| Central Arch | ||
| Georgia | Yes | Lauren Faulkenberry, Pers. Observ. |
| Clarke County, Ga. | Yes | Lauren Faulkenberry, Pers. Observ. |
| Sam's Farm | Probably | |
| Probably not | ||
| Probably | ||
Foods and Feeding
Red-shouldered Hawks tend to eat a wide variety of foods, from amphibians
and reptiles to small rodents. One study of percentages of stomachs
containing certain food items were found concluded with these results: "mammals
in 65%, reptiles and amphibians in 29%, arthropods in 21%, and birds
in 7%." (Johnsgard 205) In warmer months, the Red-shouldered Hawk generally
seeks out cold-blooded animals like reptiles; in winter months, the Hawk's
diet consists more of warm-blooded animals like rodents and the occasional small
bird. (Dunne-Hawks 29)
The Red-shouldered Hawk most likely employs "direct searching while in flight
as a primary method [of hunting],as well as some still hunting from perches."
(Johnsgard 205)
Breeding
The overall trend for breeding size compared to density size of populations
suggests that larger raptors breed at lower densities. The Red-shouldered
Hawk, with adult female weight approximately 700 grams, will most often breed
using 2 km of land per pair of birds. (Newton 342).
| Typical clutch size | 2-4 eggs |
| Incubation period | 33 days |
| Nesting period | 42 days |
| Fledgling period | 39-45 days |
| Adult plumage acquired | 2 years |
References and Acknowledgements
Dunne, Pete. Hawks in Flight. Houghton Mifflin Co.: New York, 1988. pp. 7-31, 50-52.
Newton, Ian. Population Ecology of Raptors. Buteo Books: South Dakota, 1979. pp.
Scholz, Floyd. Birds of Prey. Stackpole Books: Mechanicsburg, Pa., 1993. pp.133,148,174.
Dunne, Pete. The Wind Masters: the lives of North American birds of prey. Houghton Mifflin Co.:New York,1995. pp.63-87.
Johnsgard, Paul A. Hawks, eagles, and falcons of North America. Smithsonian Institute, 1990. pp. 20,68,77,203-245.
Peterson, Roger Tory. Field Guide to Eastern Birds. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1980. pp.167,170; maps 167,170.
ISBN: 0-395-36164-8
Dan Sudia's photographs are copyrighted by himself and are free for personal use. Any other use may be negotiated with him.
Contact address: Sudia@atlcom.net.
Thanks to Amy Edwards and Liz McGhee at the Georgia Natural History Museam (museum.nhm.uga.edu)for their assisstance.
Additional information on Raptors and the Red-shouldered Hawk:www.raptor.cvm.edu/