Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo lineatus

Description:

A Red-shouldered Hawk shown by Kent Knowles, president of The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. The hawk was one of several birds featured in a raptor demonstration at the Belle Haven picnic area, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. The event was hosted by Friends of Dyke Marsh, National Park Service, and The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. According to Mr. Knowles, "There is no way to tell a Red-shouldered male from a female by sight or weight. Since this one is relatively small I would guess it is a male, but that is only a guess. It is a third-year bird." Mr. Knowles' extraordinary rapport with raptors is clearly evident in the preceding photos! Related Resource: Friends of Dyke Marsh http://www.fodm.org/

Habitat:

The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. This "teaching bird" has several disabilities that make it unsuitable for release to the wild: the hawk was hit by a car, fracturing its right wing through the elbow joint; the bird has almost no wing extension on its right side as a result. Related Resource: http://www.raptorsva.org