Red-shouldered Hawk Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Red-shouldered Hawks are medium-sized, with broad, rounded wings and medium-length tails that they fan out when soaring. In flight, they often glide or soar with their wingtips pushed slightly forward, imparting a distinctive, “reaching” posture.

  Relative Size

  Noticeably smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk; larger than a Broad-winged Hawk.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 16.9-24.0 in (43-61 cm)
    • Weight: 17.1-27.3 oz (486-774 g)
    • Wingspan: 37.0-43.7 in (94-111 cm)

• Color Pattern

  Adults are colorful hawks with dark-and-white checkered wings and warm reddish barring on the breast. The tail is black with narrow white bands. Immatures are brown above and white below streaked with brown. All ages show narrow, pale crescents near the wingtips in flight.

• Behavior

  Red-shouldered Hawks soar over forests or perch on tree branches or utility wires. Its rising, whistled kee-rah is a distinctive sound of the forest. They hunt small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles either from perches or while flying.

• Habitat

  Look for Red-shouldered Hawks in deciduous woodlands, often near rivers and swamps. They build stick nests in a main crotch of a large tree. During migration, Red-shouldered Hawks often move high overhead along ridges or along the coast.