Red-shouldered hawks are medium-sized hawks found throughout eastern North America. They are distinguished by their striking reddish-banded shoulders and wings. Juvenile red-shouldered hawks can be tricky to identify compared to adults, but with some key field marks, they can be distinguished from other young raptors.
What are some quick ways to identify a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk?
Here are a few quick ways to tell a young Red-shouldered Hawk apart from other hawks:
– Check shoulder area for reddish barring – this field mark is unique to Red-shouldered Hawks at all ages
– Look for long, dark bands on a whitish tail tip
– Note translucent crescents near wingtips when backlit
– Listen for a piercing, keeah call
– Watch for slow, buoyant flight on broad, rounded wings
What plumage and markings help identify juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks?
Juvenile red-shouldered hawks have several distinctive plumage features:
– Dark brown upperparts with buffy mottling
– Pale underparts with variable dark streaking
– Faint but discernible reddish barring on the shoulders
– Dark bands on a white tail tip
– Dark primaries and secondaries with narrow white crescents
– Yellow cere and feet
The barring on the shoulders and wings is an important clue, as it mirrors the pattern seen in adult red-shouldered hawks. The crescents on the wingtips are also a good field mark when seen.
How do juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks compare to other young hawks?
Juvenile red-shoulders can be confused with other hawk species, but have some differences:
– Lacks broad white band of Red-tailed Hawks
– Smaller and slimmer than young Red-tailed Hawks
– Paler than juvenile Broad-winged Hawks
– Lacks large white patches of Rough-legged Hawks
– Wings not as long as Northern Harriers; longer tail
– Darker than juvenile Cooper’s Hawks with different tail pattern
Using the shoulder bars, tail pattern, wing crescents, and stouter build helps distinguish young red-shoulders from look-alikes.
Appearance and Growth
Here are more details on the appearance and development of juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks:
What do Red-shouldered Hawks look like when they hatch?
Red-shouldered hawk chicks hatch after a 28-33 day incubation period. Hatchlings have thick white down and are quite vulnerable. They weigh around 2 ounces and are blind and helpless at birth.
When do juvenile plumage and colors appear?
The juvenal plumage first grows in when the chicks are around 2-3 weeks old. At this stage, they start to show some of the streaking and mottling that is typical of young red-shoulders. Their flight feathers also start to emerge.
By 5-6 weeks of age, the characteristic wing and tail patterns appear but in a muted form. The reddish shoulder bars can start to be discerned at this stage.
When do they reach adult size and plumage?
It takes red-shouldered hawks a full year to reach adult plumage and size. They go through several molts in their first year:
– 1st molt at 4-8 weeks old, replacing down with juvenal plumage
– 2nd molt 3-4 months old into 1st basic plumage
– 3rd molt around 6 months into 2nd basic plumage
– 4th molt into 1st alternate plumage at 10-11 months
– Near adult plumage by 1 year old; may take 2 years to get full adult colors
So while recognizably a red-shoulder by several months old, the final red shoulder bars may take up to 2 years to fully emerge.
How can you determine the age of a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk in the field?
Some clues to help age a juvenile red-shouldered hawk:
– Hatchlings: Very small, covered in thick white down
– Nestlings: Still in nest, growing juvenal plumage
– Branchers: Out of nest but not flying yet, partially feathered
– Fledglings: Awkward, unsteady flight; may still beg for food
– Late summer/fall juveniles: Fully feathered but plumage muted; streaked underparts
– Late fall/winter juveniles: Molting into 1st basic plumage; variable streaking
– Immatures: By spring/summer, nearing adult plumage but colors faded
Behavior and Habits
The behavior of juvenile red-shouldered hawks also provides some identification clues:
How does the flight of juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks differ from adults?
Juvenile red-shoulders have less stable and more labored flight than adults. They may flap more frequently with shallower wingbeats.
Young birds also have poorer maneuverability than adults. They may sway from side to side and have difficulty making tight turns.
Fledglings in particular exhibit weak, fluttering flight close to the ground. They beg loudly for food.
Are juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks noisy or quiet?
Young red-shouldered hawks can be very noisy compared to adults. Fledglings give high, whistled calls continuously when adults are nearby.
Even as they get older, juveniles may call more frequently than adult birds. Their vocalizations sound higher pitched and less hoarse.
How does the hunting ability of juveniles compare to adult red-shoulders?
Hunting takes practice! Juvenile red-shoulders have much poorer hunting skills than adult birds.
Young hawks may attempt to hunt before they can fly well, hopping along the ground to chase prey. Their early strike attempts are often clumsy and unsuccessful.
With experience, their technique improves. But juveniles still have lower hunting success rates than adults through their first year.
Habitat and Range
Looking at where juvenile red-shouldered hawks occur can also help confirm identification:
Where are juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks most likely to be found?
Juvenile red-shouldered hawks occupy the same habitats as adults, including:
– Mature moist forests with tall trees
– Swamps and riparian corridors
– Open woodlands near water
– Marshes and wetlands
– Partially wooded suburbs and parks
Young red-shoulders stay close to their nest site while fledging and dependent on parents. They expand their range as they become independent.
What is the range of juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks?
The range matches the widespread eastern North American range of the species:
– Across eastern USA from Maine to Florida
– Along the Gulf Coast into eastern Texas
– Reaching north into southeastern Canada
Parts of the west coast also host some red-shouldered hawk populations. Juveniles there would be concentrated around major river systems.
Might a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk occur outside this core range?
It’s unlikely but possible to observe juvenile red-shouldered hawks outside their normal range:
– Vagrant juveniles may wander west of their typical range.
– Dispersing young birds in the fall may turn up in atypical areas.
– Juveniles may be expanding into new regions along with adults.
But in general, sightings of young red-shoulders outside their core eastern North American range would be rare and notable.
Conclusion
Identifying a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk can be tricky. But looking for key plumage features like shoulder bars and wing crescents, listening for noisy begging calls, and noting awkward flight can help distinguish them from other young raptors. Paying attention to where the bird is observed and typical juvenile behaviors provides additional clues to confirm the ID. With practice, birders can confidently age and identify these striking raptors even in their immature plumage.