Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Status: State Threatened (1979).

Occurrence: Uncommon migrant and summer resident. Uncommon winter resident south; rare winter resident central. Summer records exist for almost all counties. Suitable habitat includes unfragmented, mature floodplain forests along major rivers, including the Mississippi River, St. Croix River north to St. Croix Falls, the Chippewa River to Chippewa Falls, the Wisconsin River to Wausau, and the Wolf River to Shawano. A map outlining Pre-1977 and 1997 to Present Distribution is available.

Aid to ID: The reddish shoulder patches that give this hawk its name are not easily visible, except at close range. Underparts are pale rust with horizontal barring. From below, this hawk shows translucent "window" patches at the base of the primaries, and narrow white bands on a dark tail. Immatures are brown above, clear pale chest, and vertically streaked brown breast and belly.

Habitat: Breeding habitat includes bottomland hardwoods, mesic deciduous or mixed deciduous-conifer forests, and wooded margins of marshes.

Food Habits: Diet includes medium sized snakes, amphibians and reptiles, small mammals, small birds, crayfish, and insects. Typically hunt alone, diving from a perch located near water.

Natural History:

Breeding: Clutch size: 2-3 dull white eggs with a few brown spots; laid from April to May. Incubation: 28-32 days. Young fledge at 45 days old.
Nest: Sticks and twigs lined with conifer sprigs; 2-3 feet wide. Nest in oaks, pines, and other large trees 20-70 feet up in an enclosed tree canopy.

Management Considerations: Cooperation between private land owners and public land managers is necessary to ensure protection of large blocks of forest habitat.