Red Shouldered Hawk

Description:

Red-Shouldered Hawks are medium-sized hawks. Adult birds have brownish heads, reddish chests, and their backs are mottled brown and white in a checkerboard pattern. They have pale bellies marked with a bars, orange-colored shoulder patches and orange wing linings. Their wings are broad, and like their backs, also have a checkered pattern. There is a translucent crescent patch near the wing tips that can be seen when the hawk is flying. Their tails are long and broad, with narrow white bands on both sides of the dark tail. These hawks have yellow legs and feet, and short hooked bills. Their legs are longer than some hawks so they stand more vertically when they are on the ground. The females are larger and heavier than the males. Immature birds are duller colored, with more vertical light brown streaks below.

Habitat:

Woodlands, often close to open areas and water.

Notes:

I believe this may be a red-shouldered hawk, but may be wrong!! It was sitting on a wire in-between two trees and then swooped down to the ground into some flowers so it was hard to get a great picture of it.