184 



RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 

 Buteo lineatus. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Total length: Female, 21 to 23 inches; extent about 44 inches: 

 winK M: tail 9 inches. Male 18 to 20 inches; extent about 40 

 inchfs. wing:, 12; tail. 8 inches. 



^duW.-Shoulders rich reddish-brown; rest of upper parts 

 blackish, spotted with reddish-brown, white and dusky; pri- 

 maries blackish above and spotted with white; tail with 

 thre.3 or four broad black bars, between which are narrow 

 white bands: tir of tail whitish: under parts reddish-bi-own 

 more or less stitakod with dusky and barred with white. 



Immature — The upper parts brownish, varied with rusty 

 and whitish. The shoulders in many specimens show con- 

 sideiable red, tail brownish white with several small blackish 

 bars, lower parts white and yellowish-white, with stripes 

 and largi^ oblong spots of brown. 



Habitat. -F.astern North America, west to Texas and the 

 plains, south to the Gulf coast and Mexico. Tolerably common 

 summer resident in mountainous districts of Pennsylvania. 



Like the piecediuo; species this bird is known to 

 farmers and sportsmen as "Hen-liawk." During the 

 Slimmer season Red-shouldered hawks are quite plen 

 tiful in many of the mounlains and wooded regions of 

 the State. 



In winter these hawks frequent principally the large 

 water courses, meadow lands, and the vicinity of 

 ponds, and not unfieqiiently an individual of this spe- 

 cies can be observed on its perch overlooking a spring- 

 head. When the streams and meadows are frozen I 

 have noticed that they especially resort to such lo- 

 calities as last named. When disturbed from its 

 perch it utters, in a plaintive and impatient voice, the 

 note keen, keeo. Its flight, generally short, is graceful 

 and very owl -like. 



This Hawk, like its relative, tli.- R.'d t:iil. may he ob 

 served sitting by the limir on some f;iv()rito tree or 

 stake adjacent to swampy oi' boguv gioimil. watihiiiir 



