The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized raptor recognized by its distinctive appearance. Adults feature brownish heads, reddish chests, and pale bellies adorned with reddish bars. The “red shoulders” are noticeable when these birds are perched, referring to reddish upper wing coverts. Their tails are relatively long for a hawk of its genus and are marked with narrow white bands. In flight, translucent crescent-shaped patches near the wingtips help in identification.
Geographical Range
Red-shouldered Hawks inhabit broad areas across eastern and southeastern North America. Their breeding range extends from southern Canada, including southern New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, south through the eastern United States to Florida and the Gulf Coast. This distribution continues westward to the eastern edge of the U.S. Great Plains and into eastern Mexico.
A distinct population also lives in western North America. This western group breeds along the Pacific Coast, west of the Sierra Nevada mountains, stretching from northern California south to northern Baja California. This western population has recently shown expansion into Oregon and Arizona. The majority of Red-shouldered Hawks are found in the eastern half of North America, with the western population being comparatively smaller and geographically isolated.
Preferred Habitats
Red-shouldered Hawks prefer specific environments within their broad geographical range. They primarily inhabit deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. These hawks are particularly drawn to wet forests, such as bottomland hardwoods, flooded deciduous swamps, and riparian areas near rivers, streams, and marshes.
Ideal habitats provide mature trees, often used for nesting. Nests are built in the crotch of a main trunk, often below the forest canopy but high in the tree, and frequently near a pond, stream, or swamp. An open understory is also beneficial, as it facilitates their foraging activities. While they prefer less disturbed forest, Red-shouldered Hawks can adapt to some suburban and urban areas if suitable green spaces and water bodies are available.
Seasonal Movements and Habitat Use
Red-shouldered Hawk movements and habitat use vary seasonally, depending on geographical distribution. Northern populations are migratory, moving to warmer climates for winter. These birds migrate south to wintering grounds in the southern United States, including areas from southern Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Ohio, south to the Gulf Coast, and as far as central Mexico.
In contrast, Red-shouldered Hawk populations in central and southern regions of their range are year-round residents. Migratory individuals travel short to moderate distances, from 300 to 1,500 kilometers. These hawks often migrate alone or in small groups, following landscape features like inland ridges and coastlines, and generally avoid crossing large bodies of water. Even resident populations may slightly shift their specific locations within their home range throughout the year, often influenced by food availability or breeding requirements.