Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) lives in bottomland hardwood, flooded swamps, mixed woodlands across Eastern North America, coast of California, northern to northeastern‑central Mexico. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A single red-shouldered hawk's home range in southern California averages just 1.2 km² (0.46 sq mi), yet the species can travel 300-1,500 km each migration season, following ridgelines and coastlines. This combination of a compact territory and long-distance movement shows how the hawk balances local resource use with the need to escape harsh winters, making it a flexible survivor in fragmented landscapes.
The oldest recorded red-shouldered hawk lived 19 years 11 months, yet with only about half making it past their first birthday. High juvenile mortality stems from predation, parasites, and human hazards like power lines, underscoring how fragile early life stages are despite the species' long potential lifespan.
Red-shouldered hawks can weigh as little as 460 g or as much as 930 g, with males averaging 550 g and females 700 g, and their wingspan stretches from 90 cm up to 127 cm.
Red-shouldered hawks lay three to four eggs that measure an average 54.5 mm × 43 mm (2.15 in × 1.69 in), and incubation lasts 28-33 days. The first chick can hatch up to a week before its siblings, the female broods the young for up to 40 days.
Young red-shouldered hawks leave the nest at about six weeks but remain dependent on their parents until they are 17-19 weeks old. During this time the male supplies most of the food while the female continues brooding.
Sources
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As the sun rises over the verdant wetlands, a majestic Red-Shouldered Hawk stretches its wings, its slate-gray feathers glistening with dew, before taking to the skies with a fluid, effortless motion. With a piercing cry, it soars through the misty dawn air, its sharp eyes scanning the landscape below for the slightest movement of its prey, its agility and stealth a testament to its status as a master hunter. In this realm of cypress swamps and mangrove forests, the Red-Shouldered Hawk reigns supreme, its elegant form a symbol of wild beauty and resilience.
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