Red-shouldered hawk

Description:

Adults have brownish heads, reddish chests, and pale bellies with reddish bars. Their tails, which are quite long by Buteo standards, are marked with narrow white bars. Red "shoulders" are visible when the birds are perched. These hawks' upper parts are dark with pale spots and they have long yellow legs. Small mammals are typically the most important prey, with voles, mice and chipmunks locally favored. Other prey can include amphibians, reptiles (especially small snakes), small birds, and large insects. They will attack birds as large as pigeons and doves.

Habitat:

Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. Seen at Mason Farm Biological Preserve