184 



RED SHOULDERED HAWK. 

 Buteo lineatus. 



DESCRIPTION. 



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

 wing 14; tail 9 inches. Male 18 to 20 inches; extent about 40 

 inchfs. wing-, 12; tail, S inches. 



u4.dwZ<. -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 

 three or four broad black bars, Ijetween which are narrow 

 white bands: tip of tail whitish; under parts reddish-brown 

 more or less stitakcd with dusky and barred with white. 



Immature. — The upper parts brownish, varied with rusty 

 and whilifh. The shoulders in many specimens show con- 

 siderable red, tail brownish white with several small blackish 

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

 and lai-go oblong spots of brown. 



Habitat. -F.&stern 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 preceding species this bird is known to 

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

 summer season Red-shouldered liawks are quite plen- 

 tiful in many of the mountains and wooded regions of 

 the State. 



In Avinter these hawks frequent principally the large 

 water courses, meadow lands, and the vicinity of 

 ponds, and not unfrequently 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 keeo, keeo. Tts tlight, genernlly short, is graceful 

 and very owl like. 



This Hawk, like its relative, the R<-d-tnil. may be ob 

 served sifting by the hour on some favorite tree or 

 stake adjacent to swampy or boggy ground, watching 



