The Red-shouldered Hawk is a boldly barred hawk of moist, wooded bottomlands, with a rusty-orange barred breast and reddish shoulder patches. Its loud, repeated 'kee-aah' call carries through forests and is so commonly used in TV and film soundtracks that it is the generic 'hawk sound' most people recognize. It regularly associates with Great Horned Owls at nest sites, which it recycles between species.
Best time to see a Red-shouldered Hawk
The best time to see a Red-shouldered Hawk is November–April, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 157,494 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Red-shouldered Hawk? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Red-shouldered Hawk sightings near you
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