Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Family Accipitridae
Quick answer
A medium-sized woodland buteo of wet forests and suburbs, more often heard than seen — its ringing 'kee-yah' call carries a long way through the trees.
Quick facts
- Size
- Medium buteo, wingspan roughly 90–110 cm
- Habitat
- Bottomland and riparian woodland, wooded suburbs, swamp edges
- Range
- Eastern North America and coastal California; largely resident
- Diet
- Small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, large insects, occasionally birds
- When to look
- Year-round in most of its range
- Family
- Accipitridae
Identification
- Rufous barred underparts and rusty shoulder patch
- Boldly black-and-white banded tail
- Translucent pale crescents near the wingtips, visible when backlit in flight
- Slimmer and longer-tailed than a Red-tailed Hawk
Behaviour
Hunts from perches at mid-height inside woodland rather than soaring over open country. Extremely vocal in late winter and spring, when pairs call repeatedly over their territory.
Similar species
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Bulkier, brick-red tail, pale chest with a dark belly band.
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Smaller and chunkier, with a broadly banded tail and no rusty shoulder.
- Cooper's Hawk
- Accipiter shape — short rounded wings, long tail, flap-flap-glide flight.
Birding tips
- Learn the call — it is the most reliable way to find this species, though Blue Jays imitate it well
- Check wooded creek corridors in suburbs; they often nest closer to houses than expected
Frequently asked questions
How do I separate it from a Red-tailed Hawk?
Look for the banded black-and-white tail, rufous barred underparts and the pale wingtip crescents in flight.
Why does the hawk I hear turn out to be a jay?
Blue Jays imitate this call convincingly and frequently.
Have you seen this bird?
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