THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 



115 



Fig. 42. The Red-shouldered Hawk. 



10. BUTEO LINEATUS LINEATUS (Gmelin). 339. 

 Red-shouldered Hawk. Chicken Hawk. 

 Hen Hawk. 



Field Characters. A medium large, reddish colored hawk, with 

 white-banded wings and tail, frequenting timber, especially bottom- 

 land near water. 



Description. Above, brownish, the feathers edged with reddish 

 buff. Flight feathers black and white barred; shoulders of wings 

 noticeably reddish. Tail black, with four or five conspicuous white 

 bars. Below, tawny buff continuously barred with white. 



Immature birds : Whitish below with streaks of dusky. Tail 

 crossed by many narrow bars of buffy brown. Shoulders evidently 

 reddish. 



Measurements. Length, 18 to 21 inches; wing, 12 to 14 inches; 

 tail, 9 to 10 inches. 



Range. Eastern North America to the Plains, and from British 

 America to the Gulf, breeding in its range, north of the Gulf States. 



The Red-shouldered Hawk, while fairly common in parts of the 

 state, is riot conspicuous, since it has the habit of frequenting the 



