![]() ![]() The species follows leading lines, migrating along inland ridges and coastlines. Red-shouldered Hawks are short- to moderate-distance migrants, with most individuals traveling distances between 300 km and 1,500 km each way. In the West, most populations are sedentary. In the East, individuals from the northern half of the species’ range are migratory. The Red-shouldered Hawk is one of 26 North American raptor species that are partial migrants. At first they catch mainly insects, but after several weeks they start to catch vertebrates as well. By the time they are seven to eight weeks old, the fledglings begin to capture their own prey. Young fledge when they are between 35 and 45 days old. The nestlings are able to tear apart food when they are about 18 days old. Beginning several weeks before the young fledge (leave the nest), both the male and the female hunt for food for the young. The male brings food to a spot near the nest and then calls for the female, who accepts the prey and delivers it to the young. While the female remains at the nest, the male is responsible for providing food. After the eggs hatch, the female broods the nestlings continually for a week, but thereafter spends increasingly less time brooding. Incubation begins before all the eggs are laid therefore, clutches hatch asynchronously. The eggs are incubated for about five weeks, mainly by the female. Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, martens, and fishers are also potential predators. Great Horned Owls and raccoons prey on eggs, young, and adult Red-shouldered Hawks. Predation is also a threat to nesting success. Nest success varies overall, and the timing of nesting and food availability are important factors. ![]() The species usually lays three to four eggs. Replacement clutches are sometimes laid if the first clutch is destroyed. Red-shouldered Hawks lay one clutch per year. Nests are 45-60 cm in diameter, 20-30 cm deep, and are constructed from sticks, strips of bark, dried leaves, lichens, conifer sprigs, and Spanish moss. Both males and females are involved in nest construction, and the process takes one to five weeks. Nests are typically built at a crook of the main trunk in deciduous trees, more than halfway up the tree but within the canopy. Red-shouldered Hawks usually nest in deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. Red-shouldered Hawks are particularly vocal prior to incubation, and they call repeatedly while engaged in courtship flights. Males “sky-dance” by repeatedly making a steep dive and then soaring upward in a spiral. The male and the female soar toward and then away from each other, and one member of the pair sometimes soars higher than and dives on the other. In their circling flights, pairs soar together with their wings spread and their tails fanned. Courtship lasts about 18 days, and during this time “circling flight” and “sky-dancing” displays are performed. Pairs usually remain in the same territories and reuse the same nest-sites for many years. Red-shouldered Hawks are monogamous, and most individuals breed for the first time when they are two years old. Red-shouldered Hawks differ slightly in appearance across their range, and five subspecies are recognized. Its typical call is a loud Kee-aah scream, which is often mimicked by Blue Jays. The Red-shouldered Hawk is fairly vocal, especially during the breeding season. They are most heavily streaked on their chests. ![]() Juveniles are mostly brown from above and have cream-colored underparts with brown streaking. Their tails are black with several narrow white bands. Red-shouldered Hawks have brownish heads and backs, reddish breasts, rufous shoulder patches, and black and white flight feathers. When soaring overhead, especially when backlit, the species displays translucent, crescent-shaped patches near the tips of its wings. In active flight, Redshouldered Hawks sometimes appear Accipiter-like and fly with a series of quick wingbeats followed by a short glide. ![]() The species, however, is lankier and has a proportionately longer tail than other Buteos. Like other Buteos, Red-shouldered Hawks have long, broad wings and soar with their tails fanned. Red-shouldered Hawks are intermediate in size between the smaller Broad-winged Hawk and the larger Red-tailed Hawk. ![]()
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