Red shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawks in the Northeast tend to be brownish overall. Florida birds have very pale, grayish heads, while those in California are very richly colored with a rusty head.

The rich colors are probably due to the fact that the bird went thru a spring molt.

Thanks Christy! I will be too happy to add this guy on. Do you know the reason for such a rich plumage?

thanks Carol. "I get a kick out of the Red-Shouldered Hawk. Everything can be so peaceful, the birds are singing and the squirrels are playing. Suddenly, there is a piercing scream and through the trees comes a Red-Shouldered Hawk. It takes only a moment for me to realize that not a bird or squirrel is in sight any more. Now I ask you, how does the Red-Shouldered Hawk catch anything with all that screaming going on?" http://www.birdinginformation.com/birds/......

Next to,looks like it is breeding plumage?

It has a unique hunting style. I was surprised to learn yesterday about how Coyotes hunt squirrels and other prey. Once they have seen the prey they leap high up in the air ,make a turn and pounce on the prey. Do not know what the strategy is though!!

Red-shouldered hawks search for prey while perched on a treetop or soaring over woodlands. When they sight prey, they kill it by dropping directly onto it from the air. They may cache food near their nest for later consumption

They often hunt from a perch on a tree which allows them to swoop down and catch their prey. They eat mostly rodents such as voles, mice and chipmunks. Large insects, small birds, bird’s eggs, and some reptiles and amphibians are also taken. Their call is a loud two syllable scream which is repeated two or three times. This scream sounds like “keeyar” and carries a long distance. The Red-Shouldered Hawks in California sound similar to eastern birds but their calls are sharper and higher pitched. They will sometime collaborate with American Crows to mob Great Horned Owls and Red-Tailed Hawks, but they are not well liked birds because of their habit of stealing young birds and eggs from other specie’s nests. They hold their wings straight out as they fly; their flight is like more like an accipiter, with several quick wing beats and then a glide.

thanks Gerardo!

Thank you ENV.

Thank you ,friend.

Thank you Sachindra, these look really gorgeous in flight. Maybe one of these days , i might have the fortune of capturing one in flight!!

Thanks , J!

thanks, Keith! Ric3 ,these are master acrobats and can do the balancing act very well!!

looks like an young adult in breeding plumage.