Red-shouldered Hawk (Red-shouldered Buzzard)

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized forest hawk recognized by its reddish-brown barred underparts, distinctive translucent wing panels in flight, and striking checkered black-and-white wings and tail. They are vocal raptors known for their screaming ke-yd calls.

Striking pattern of dark brown or blackish background crossed with bold, contrasting white spots and crescent-shaped bars, characteristic of a Buteo wing feather.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous structure with strong barbs and barbicels providing aerodynamic rigidity, no afterfeather.

Strong, central pale whitish-grey rachis with high-density barbs angled uniformly outward to create a rigid, durable vane.

Stiff, smooth, and matte with a firm resistance to bending, optimized for aerodynamic performance.

Wing, specifically a secondary flight feather, determined by the broad width and distinctive checkered black and white barring.

Bold black-and-white checkered barring on a brown background, medium size, and stiff aerodynamic structure typical of a Buteo secondary flight feather.

Deciduous and mixed lowland forests, swampy woodlands, river groves, and wooded riparian corridors.

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

Acts as an apex avian predator controlling small mammal, reptile, and amphibian populations in forested wetland ecosystems.

Broad-winged Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk, though Broad-winged feathers are typically smaller and Red-tailed feathers often feature different tail barring or lack the distinct checkered white spots.

Red-shouldered Hawks often reuse the same nest year after year, sometimes adding fresh evergreen sprigs to the structure. They frequently fall victim to nest parasitism or mobbing by smaller birds like Blue Jays and crows.

Like many raptor feathers in North America, historical and modern possession is strictly regulated. Indigenous peoples occasionally utilized hawk feathers for ceremonial regalia and arrows.

Look along forest floors, beneath common woodland raptor roost trees, or near water sources during the late summer molt period.

Good condition with intact barbs and minimal fraying at the tip, indicating a recently molted feather.