Red-shouldered Hawk
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The Red-shouldered Hawk can be found in southeastern Canada, the eastern United States, Oregon, California, and Mexico. It is a forest-dwelling species and favors wet forests, particularly bottomlands near streams, rivers, swamps, and marshes. The Red-shouldered Hawk is divided into five subspecies, which vary in size and appearance; It's diet consists of small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and crayfish. The Red-shouldered Hawk is 17-24 inches in length with a wingspan of 37-44 inches. They weigh between 17-27 ounces. Left: Feb. 20, 2007 |
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The Red-shouldered Hawk drops on prey from a perch in canopy (in the trees.) This hawk may hunt on the ground by hopping after mammals when they come out of their burrow.
The female Red-shouldered Hawk is larger than the males.
Legs are yellow, eyes are black. |
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First photo opportunity Jan. 25, 2007 |
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Jan. 25, 2007: The hawk is grooming itself, you can see the top of the head. |
Facts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2007) http://www.birds.cornell.edu