10 
NEW-YORK FAUNA — BIRDS. 
THE RED-SHOULDERED BUZZARD. 
Buteo hyemalis. 
PLATE VI. FIG. 13. 
(STATE COLLECTION. Male, female and young.) 
Falco borealis et lineatus. Gmelin. 
Red-shouldered Hawk . Penn. Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 206. 
Winter Falcon. Wils. Orn. Vol. 4, p. 73, pi. 35, fig. 1 (adult.) 
F. lineatus. Id. Ib. Vol. 6, p. 86, pi. 53, fig. 3 (young male). 
F. ( Circus) hyemalis. Bonap. Am. Lyc. N. Y. Vol. 2, p.33. 
Winter Falcon. Nutt. Man. Vol. 1, p. 106. 
Red-shouldered Hawk. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 1, p. 40, pi. 9 (male and female). 
Buteo lineatus, Red-shouldered Hawk . Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 7. 
Characteristics. Brown and ferruginous. Wings and tail black; the former spotted. 
Shoulder of the wings reddish. Tail black, with five bands of white. 
Young : Beneath white spotted with brown. 
Description. Bill stout, compressed. Head depressed. Legs feathered a little below 
the knees. Claws highly curved, and very sharp. Third and fourth primaries subequal, 
longest. Tail long, slightly rounded. Feathers of the thighs elongated behind. 
Color. Head, neck and back reddish brown. Wing-coverts and secondaries light brown, 
thickly spotted with white. Quills nearly black, spotted with white. Under wing-coverts 
reddish. Tail with from five to seven narrow white transverse bands, and tipped with white. 
Thigh-feathers light brown, spotted or transversely barred with brown. Beneath reddish 
brown, with longitudinal streaks of pale brown on the breast. Beak bluish at base, black at 
tip. Cere, eyelids and feet yellow. Iris hazel. 
Length, 19 , 0-21 , 0. 
The Red-shouldered Buzzard, or Winter Hawk , breeds in the Southern States; and 
although it has been noticed as far north as the 57th parallel, it rarely passes the State of 
New-York along the Atlantic coast. It builds its nest in trees, and lays four or five bluish 
eggs, faintly blotched with reddish at the smaller end. Preys on the smaller birds and qua¬ 
drupeds. Peculiar to this continent. 
