Red-shouldered Hawk

Adults feature a distinctive reddish-brown or rufous shoulder patch (lesser coverts), reddish-barred underparts, and a checkered black-and-white pattern on the upperparts and wings. The tail is dark with narrow white bands. Juveniles lack the rufous shoulders and checkered upperparts, showing brownish streaks on the breast and a duller tail.

Distinctive reddish shoulder patches, barred reddish underparts, checkered black-and-white wings, and a narrowly banded black-and-white tail.

Length: 38–58 cm (15–23 in), Wingspan: 90–105 cm (35–41 in), Weight: 460–930 g (1.0–2.0 lbs).

A loud, descending, two-part whistle sounding like 'kee-year, kee-year', often mimicked by Blue Jays.

Primarily consumes small mammals (voles, mice), amphibians (frogs, toads), reptiles (snakes, lizards), and large insects. Forages by perching and watching for prey, then dropping down to capture it on the ground.

Prefers deciduous and mixed hardwood forests, bottomlands, river swamps, and wooded wetlands. Increasingly adapts to suburban woodlots near water.

Mostly permanent resident, though northernmost breeding populations are short-distance migrants moving south for the winter.

Constructs a bulky stick nest high up in the crotch of a large deciduous tree, typically near water. Lays 2 to 4 eggs per clutch, incubating them for about 33 days.

Broad-winged Hawk (smaller, lacks reddish shoulders and barred underparts) and Red-tailed Hawk (larger, stockier, features a distinct red tail and pale chest band).

Acts as an apex predator in its woodland ecosystem, helping to control populations of small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, thus maintaining ecological balance.

Least Concern, with populations currently stable or increasing across much of its range.

Look and listen near deciduous or mixed forests close to rivers, swamps, or standing water. They often perch conspicuously on snags or utility poles near forest edges, making them easier to spot than forest-dwelling hawks.

Red-shouldered Hawks are remarkably vocal for raptors and can often be heard before they are seen. Their territories are fiercely defended, and breeding pairs often use the same nest year after year, adding new material each season.