Red-Shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Habitat
Ground
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
604 g
About This Species
A vocal woodland hawk of bottomland forest, swamps and wooded streams, often located by its loud, repeated whistled call before it is seen perched quietly beneath the canopy or soaring above the treeline. Look for the reddish shoulders and barred underparts in flight, and listen for jays mimicking its call, which can complicate identification by ear alone. Late winter through spring, during courtship display flights and territorial calling, is the most reliable period for good views.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This species will tolerate a slow, quiet approach in areas used to people, such as park woodlands, better than in more remote forest, but a respectful distance with binoculars remains the better default in either setting.
- It is protected under federal migratory bird law in the United States, which prohibits disturbing active nests, and comparable protections exist in Canada, so treat any nest site as strictly hands-off.
- Avoid lingering beneath a nest tree, since adults may delay returning to incubate or feed young while an observer remains nearby.
LCAvesAccipitriformesAccipitridae
Seasonal Activity
4,885,045 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 604 g
Photo
(c) Gracie Catanzaro, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gracie Catanzaro
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.