Red-Shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawks live in hardwood stands, flooded deciduous swamps, and upland mixed deciduous–conifer forests. They often reuse nests from past years and typically place their nests in the crotch of a tree near a pond, stream, or swamp. Both male and female build the nest, or refurbish a prior year’s nest and they continue to add fresh green leaves throughout the nesting season. A Red-shouldered Hawk lays between 2 to 5 eggs and has 1 brood per year. The incubation period is between 32 – 40 days. The female usually remains with young for first 1-3 weeks after they hatch as the male brings in the food while the female feeds it to nestlings. After 3 – 4 weeks the female also hunts for food. The young leave the nest at about 5-7 weeks after hatching and continue to be fed by the parents for another 8-10 weeks until the fledglings learn to hunt for themselves. When hunting, the hawks perch near a wooded water body and watch for their prey to appear below them. They eat mostly small mammals, fish, toads, lizards, snakes, crayfish and amphibians. (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)