Red-shouldered Hawk
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae Genus: Buteo
Species: Buteo lineatus
As the most common raptor on the Regents Campus, the Red-shouldered Hawk can often be seen in flight or perched on the tops of trees and streetlights. People often confuse it with the Red-tailed Hawk, which is lighter below, has more subtle barring on its wings, and lacks the checkerboard barring on its tail which is a rusty red. While the Red-tailed Hawk can be found flying in the area, the Red-shouldered Hawk roosts on the Regents Campus. One Red-shouldered Hawk, in particular, has been observed at the SOL garden, and it is believed to roost nearby. It is easily differentiated from the Red-tailed Hawk by the black and white bands on its tail. The American Crow often mobs this species and vice versa, and the Great Horned Owl sometimes takes Red-tailed Hawk hatchlings and vice versa. The Red-tailed Hawk often returns to the same nest every year to breed, and these nests are usually near water. Habitat loss and the use of pesticides serves as a great threat to this species.
Conservation status: Least concern
Description: Dark brown above with dark and white checkered wings and rusty red barring on chest: rusty shoulders and a black tail with thin, white bands
Length: 17 inches
Wingspan: 40 inches
Diet: Small mammals, lizards, snakes, and amphibians; sometimes toads, snakes, crayfish, and other birds on occasion
Habitat: Woodlands
Season: All year
Credit source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
