Red-shouldered hawk

Description:

The Red-shouldered hawk is a forest raptor and prefers to live in open-canopy forests. They have a dark or brownish head and reddish underparts with bars. The upper parts of the wings are dark with white spots. They get their name from their reddish shoulders. The tail and flight feathers are banded black and white (see pics 5 and 6).

Habitat:

Spotted at the Lake Hamilton Fish Hatchery in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The area provides excellent edge habitat for raptors. There is a lot of fish in the area to prey on (pic 5 shows it flying away with a small fish).