The
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized
hawkThe term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
. Its breeding range spans eastern
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
and along the coast of
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
and northern to northeastern-central
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Males are 43 to 58 cm (17 to 23 in) long, weigh about 550 g (1.2 lbs) and have a wingspan of 96 cm (38 in). Females are slightly larger at 48 to 61 cm (19 to 24 in) in length, a weight of about 700 g (1.5 lbs), and a wingspan of about 105 cm (42 in).
The
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized
hawkThe term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
. Its breeding range spans eastern
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
and along the coast of
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
and northern to northeastern-central
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Description
Males are 43 to 58 cm (17 to 23 in) long, weigh about 550 g (1.2 lbs) and have a wingspan of 96 cm (38 in). Females are slightly larger at 48 to 61 cm (19 to 24 in) in length, a weight of about 700 g (1.5 lbs), and a wingspan of about 105 cm (42 in). Adults have a brownish head, a reddish chest, and a pale belly with reddish bars. Their tail, which is quite long by
ButeoButeo is a genus of medium-sized wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in North America...
standards, is marked with narrow white bars. The red "shoulder" is visible when the bird is perched as seen in the image to the right. These hawks' upper parts are dark with pale spots and they have long yellow legs. Western birds may appear more red while
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
birds are generally paler. The wings of adults are more heavily barred on the upper side. Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks are most likely to be confused with juvenile
Broad-winged HawkThe Broad-winged Hawk is a small hawk of the Buteo genus. During the summer they are distributed over most of eastern North America, to as far west as the Alberta province and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the neotropics from Mexico down to Southern Brazil...
s, but can be distinguished by their long tail, crescent-like wing markings, and a more flapping,
AccipiterThe genus Accipiter is a group of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, many of which are named as goshawks and sparrowhawks.These birds are slender with short broad rounded wings and a long tail which helps them manoeuvre in flight. They have long legs and long sharp talons used to kill their...
-like flight style.
Taxonomy
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a member of the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
ButeoButeo is a genus of medium-sized wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in North America...
, a group of medium-sized raptors with robust bodies and broad wings. Members of this genus are known as
buzzards in Europe, but
hawks in North America.
There are 5 recognized subspecies of
Buteo lineatus, which vary in range and in coloration:
- B. l. lineatus (Gmelin, 1788)
- B. l. alleni
- B. l. elegans
- B. l. extimus
- B. l. texanus
Food and feeding
While in forested areas, these birds typically wait on a perch and swoop down on prey. When in clearings, they sometimes fly low in order to surprise prey. Small
mammalMammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.Mammals are divided into three main...
s are typically the most important prey, with
voleA vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, and smaller ears and eyes. There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s,
miceMICE is an acronym for:*Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment*"Money, Ideology, Compromise, Ego", four factors by which spies may be recruited. See MICE .*"Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", terminology for banquets, etc., in a hotel....
and
chipmunkChipmunks are small squirrel-like rodents of the genus Tamias. They are native to North America and Asia.- Etymology and taxonomy :Tamias is Greek for "storer," a reference to the animals' habit of collecting and storing food for winter use...
s locally favored. Other prey can include amphibians,
reptileReptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, generally "cold-blooded" amniotes that generally have skin covered in scales or scutes. They are tetrapods and lay amniote eggs, whose embryos are surrounded by the amnion membrane...
s (especially small
snakeSnakes are elongate legless carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s), small
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
s, and large
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s. During winters, they sometimes habituate to preying on birds commonly found at bird feeders, such as
House SparrowThe House Sparrow is a member of the Old World sparrow family Passeridae, considered by some to be a relative of the Weaver Finch Family.It occurs naturally in most of Europe and much of Asia...
s,
Mourning DoveThe Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Western Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds...
s, and
European StarlingThe European Starling, Common Starling or just Starling is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia...
s.
These birds are permanent residents throughout most of their range, though northern birds do
migrateBird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. These however are usually irregular or in only one direction and are termed variously as nomadism, invasions,...
mostly to central
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The major modern threat to these birds is deforestation, which has eliminated these birds as breeders in some areas.
Breeding
Their breeding habitats of the Red-shouldered Hawk are
deciduousDeciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
and mixed wooded areas, often near water. It is while establishing territories that the distinctive, screaming
kee-aah call (usually repeated 3 to 4 times) of this bird is heard. The breeding pair build a stick nest in a major fork of a large tree. The clutch size is typically 3 to 4 eggs. The blotchy-marked eggs are typically 54.5 × 43 mm (2.1 × 1.7 in). The incubation period can range from 28 to 33 days. The hatchlings, 35 g (1.2 oz) at first, are brooded for up to 40 days. The young leave the nest at about six weeks of age, but remain dependent on the parents until they are 17 to 19 weeks old. Predators of eggs and birds of all ages include
Great Horned OwlThe Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.The Magellanic Horned Owl The Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an...
s,
Red-tailed HawkThe Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is...
s,
Peregrine FalconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s,
raccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most widespread species, the Common Raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s,
martenThe Martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...
s, and
fisherFisher or Fishers may refer to:-Places:Australia* Fisher, Australian Capital Territory* Fisher Island * Fisher Island * Fisher Island Reef, Tasmania...
s (adults are vulnerable to the
mammalMammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.Mammals are divided into three main...
s only while nesting). Red-shouldered Hawks sometimes collaborate and peaceably co-exist with
American CrowThe American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America...
s (usually an enemy to all other birds because of their egg-hunting habits) in order to mob
Great Horned OwlThe Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.The Magellanic Horned Owl The Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an...
s and
Red-tailed HawkThe Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is...
s.
External links