Red-shouldered Hawk

Scientific Name: Buteo lineatus

Where Red-shouldered Hawks Live:

Forests and swamps with dead trees or other perches nearby from which to observe and hunt. Range includes eastern and northeast United States, southern Canada and west of the Sierra Nevada in California.



What Red-shouldered Hawks Eat:

Squirrels, rabbits, snakes, toads, frogs, lizards, small birds and large insects.

How Long Red-shouldered Hawks Live: Up to 20 years

Why Red-shouldered Hawks are Awesome:

Red-shouldered Hawks and Barred Owls live in the same range and habitats but the owl is active at night and the hawk is active during the day. Consider it to be free, around the clock rodent control.

Conservation of Red-shouldered Hawks:

According to The Peregrine Fund, Red-shouldered Hawks are common throughout their range because of their ability to adapt to urban development and their numbers are increasing at the north end of the range in the western United States.

The Red-shouldered Hawk has no current formal conservation efforts but habitat loss has threatened survival of this hawk in the past. To prevent future threats to populations, the planting of hardwood trees in habitats where perches are limited, particularly near water, would help with nesting success.

The Milwaukee County Zoo showed off their beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk on the local news last summer. Watch the video for more.