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Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo lineatus

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33.0778, -117.065

Field Notes

Description:

Large, brown and red hawk screaming at a nearby hawk. "Males are 43 to 58 centimetres (17 to 23 in) long, weigh about 550 g (19 oz) (1.2 lbs) and have a wingspan of 96 cm (38 in). Females are slightly larger at 48 to 61 cm (19 to 24 in) in length, a weight of about 700 g (25 oz), and a wingspan of about 105 cm (41 in). Adults have brownish heads, reddish chests, and pale bellies with reddish bars. Their tails, which are quite long by Buteo standards, are marked with narrow white bars. Red "shoulders" are visible when the birds are perched. These hawks' upper parts are dark with pale spots and they have long yellow legs. Western birds may appear more red, while Florida birds are generally paler. The wings of adults are more heavily barred on the upper side." - Wikipedia

Habitat:

Large Gum tree at Kit Carson park. "Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico.
" - Wikipedia

Notes:

"While in forested areas, these birds typically wait on a perch and swoop down on prey. When in clearings, they sometimes fly low to surprise prey. Small mammals are typically the most important prey, with voles, mice and chipmunks locally favored. Other prey can include amphibians, reptiles (especially small snakes), small birds, and large insects. They will attack birds as large as pigeons and doves. During winters, they sometimes habituate to preying on birds commonly found at bird feeders. These birds are permanent residents throughout most of their range, though northern birds do migrate, mostly to central Mexico. The major modern threat to these birds is deforestation, which has eliminated these birds as breeders in some areas." - Wikipedia

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)

Beautiful series!! However, this is not a red-tailed hawk...I live in Colorado and we do not have the Red-Shouldered Hawk, but I believe that's what you've got. I would have someone double-check this...

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