Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Red-shouldered Hawks are creatures of habit, often returning to the same nesting territory for many consecutive years.
- Scientific name
- Buteo lineatus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Buteo
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed forests, often near rivers, swamps, and wetlands.
- Diet
- Small mammals, amphibians (especially frogs), reptiles (snakes), and occasionally large insects.
- Range
- Eastern North America, California, Mexico
- Size
- Length: 17-24 in; Wingspan: 37-43 in; Weight: 1.1-1.9 lbs
- Lifespan
- 10-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to suburban sprawl, forest fragmentation, and secondary poisoning from rodenticides.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans but highly defensive near nests. Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet. If the bird begins screaming or diving, calmly leave the area. In the unlikely event of a scratch from talons, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice if signs of infection appear.
The red-shouldered hawk ( Buteo lineatus ) is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. Red-shouldered hawks are permanent residents throughout most of their range, though northern birds do migrate, mostly to central Mexico. The main conservation threat to the widespread species is deforestation.
Photo: Jonathan Eisen, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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