Red-shouldered Hawk

Overview
Red-shouldered Hawk: Large hawk with brown upperparts and head. Underparts are white with rust-red barring. The wings are finely barred above with red-brown shoulders and pale below with red-brown wash and dark tips. Tail is dark with thick white bands.

Range and Habitat
Red-shouldered Hawk: Resident in the eastern woodlands and west of the Rocky Mountains; also in New England and the Great Lakes region during the summer.

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk ranging from eastern North America to the coast of California and northern and northeastern-central Mexico. Most of these birds are permanent residents, but some northern populations will migrate to central Mexico in the winter months. Breeding habitats include deciduous and mixed woodlands, typically near a body of water. This species swoops from a perch to catch prey, and typically eats amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, birds, insects, voles, mice and chipmunks. They may also occasionally feed on small birds in their natural habitat. The conservation rating for the Red-shouldered Hawk is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Red-shouldered Hawk and the Barred Owl occupy the same range in the eastern United States. They prefer the same moist woodland habitats and eat similar animals. The hawk is active during the day, and the owl is active at night. By the time they are five days old, nestling Red-shouldered Hawks can shoot their feces over the edge of their nest. Bird poop on the ground is a sign of an active nest. A group of hawks has many collective nouns, including a "boil", "knot", "spiraling", "stream", and "tower" of hawks.