Red-shouldered Hawk (Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-shoulder)

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized forest raptor characterized by its reddish-brown shoulder patches, checkered wings, and finely barred underparts. Known for its noisy, screaming calls, it soars gracefully over woodlands and wetland edges.

Distinctive dark brown to blackish background with crisp, contrasting white or pale buff barring and spotting along the vanes, characteristic of raptor flight feathers

Pennaceous structure with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels on the upper vane, grading into a slightly looser plumulaceous structure near the base

Strong, robust central rachis that is pale cream or white on the underside, tapering toward the tip; high barb density with uniform angle creating a solid, durable vane surface

Stiff, smooth, and semi-glossy on the dorsal surface, designed to withstand aerodynamic pressure during flight

Secondary wing flight feather, positioned along the inner trailing edge of the wing

Contrasting dark brown and white horizontal barring across the flight feathers, combined with a pale shaft and moderate length typical of a Buteo secondary

Deciduous and mixed forests, often near rivers, swamps, and wetlands

Resident across eastern North America, along the Pacific coast of California, and parts of northeastern Mexico

Acts as an apex avian predator helping to regulate populations of small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles in forest ecosystems

Broad-winged Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk; distinguished by specific bar width, contrast patterns, and exact dimensions

Red-shouldered Hawks frequently reuse the same nest year after year and are often harassed by smaller birds like blue jays and crows defending their territories

Hawk feathers hold traditional significance in many indigenous North American cultures; historically utilized in ceremonial regalia and fletching

Look near woodland edges, riparian corridors, and beneath known raptor roosting trees, especially during spring and autumn molt periods

Good condition with intact barbs, minor natural wear at the tip, and clean shaft alignment with no major fault bars or fraying