Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples, Florida
Credit: Mathew Paulson

North American field guide

Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo lineatus

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Identification

Field notes

43-61 cm (17-24") Uncommon in the north, common in the south. Woodlands and swamps.

Brown above, wings darker with whitish mottling and reddish shoulder patch; barred reddish below; tail is dark with distinctive narrow white bands.

In flight; reddish-brown underwings with pale crescent at base of primaries. Immature is brown above; streaked brown and white below.

Song: shrill down-slurred scream "kee-yer".

Watch and learn

Videos

3 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 8 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Red-shouldered Hawk

4 rules
Rule 1 11 criteria confidence 5
Where was the white seen in flight ?
Mainly on the wings · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States
result:418-red-shouldered-hawk:1:1 Source: 418 Red-shouldered Hawk, row 1
Rule 2 11 criteria confidence 2
Where was the white seen in flight ?
Mainly on the wings · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States
result:418-red-shouldered-hawk:2:1 Source: 418 Red-shouldered Hawk, row 2
Rule 3 12 criteria confidence 5
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States
result:418-red-shouldered-hawk:3:1 Source: 418 Red-shouldered Hawk, row 3
Rule 4 12 criteria confidence 2
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States
result:418-red-shouldered-hawk:4:1 Source: 418 Red-shouldered Hawk, row 4

Red-shouldered Hawk (Immature)

4 rules
Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 5
Where was the white seen in flight ?
On the wings and underbody · Mainly on the wings · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States
result:419-red-shouldered-hawk-immature:1:1 Source: 419 Red-shouldered Hawk (Immature), row 1
Rule 2 12 criteria confidence 2
Where was the white seen in flight ?
On the wings and underbody · Mainly on the wings · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States
result:419-red-shouldered-hawk-immature:2:1 Source: 419 Red-shouldered Hawk (Immature), row 2
Rule 3 11 criteria confidence 5
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States
result:419-red-shouldered-hawk-immature:3:1 Source: 419 Red-shouldered Hawk (Immature), row 3
Rule 4 11 criteria confidence 2
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States
result:419-red-shouldered-hawk-immature:4:1 Source: 419 Red-shouldered Hawk (Immature), row 4