The Red-Shouldered Hawk 
By WILLIAM DUTCHER 
The National Association of Audubon Societies 
Educational Leaflet No. 9 
The generic name of this hawk (Buteo, a buzzard) is of very ancient 
origin, and is mentioned in the writings of Pliny; its specific name is from 
line a f a line, referring to the streaking of the plumage. It is to be 
found numerously in all parts of temperate North America, and several 
near relatives exist, as the Red-tailed Buzzard-Hawk, the Broad-winged, 
and others. 
As a class they are rather heavy, deliberate fliers, much given to 
soaring in circles at a great height. At other times they are prone to 
select some point of observation on a dead limb in wooded districts, or on 
a knoll in the prairie regions, where they will remain 
in perfect repose for a long period, seemingly asleep ; Characteristics 
any attempt by an observer to approach them quickly 
shows, however, that they are alert and watchful. Unfortunately, the 
harmless and beneficial hawks of the Buteo tribe are scapegoats for 
all that is bad in the hawk family, and are made to suffer for most of 
the sins that have been magnified by the prejudice and ignorance of ages 
to a mountain of crime. 
Without reason they are called “Chicken-hawks” and “Hen-hawks,” 
simply because a farmer from time to time may miss from his flock a 
barnyard-fowl, or may find its scattered feathers where a tragedy has 
occurred. Many a farmer does not consider that this crime may have 
been committed by a fox, skunk, mink, weasel, cat, or some other 
carnivorous animal, but at once attributes it to a hawk, and immediately 
registers a vow to kill every hawk that he sees, without reflecting that by 
doing so he may be killing one of his best friends. 
Farmers are not the only persons who have a prejudice against hawks, 
for it is unfortunately too true that a large percentage of sportsmen attri- 
bute the rapidly diminishing numbers of game-birds to hawks, and con- 
sequently never fail to kill one when an opportunity 
occurs. There is really very little doubt but that an 
increase in the number of hawks of the Buteo class 
would result in an increase of game-birds, but this is because these hawks 
reduce the number of small predaceous mammals that are so destructive 
to the young of game-birds. 
It is certainly a very short-sighted policy on the part of any one to 
condemn hawks on hearsay evidence. The proper method to judge of the 
Unjust 
Accusations 
