194 
Economic Status . Nearly everything said of Swainson’s and the 
Rough-legged Hawks (which see) applies to this bird. Its record is not 
quite so satisfactory, but it is almost captious to raise objections. It is 
a hardy bird, and may remain with us later in the season than the others; 
often a few linger after the gophers have holed up for the winter. Then, of 
necessity, it must turn to other prey, and for a short season may give some 
offence to the poulterer or the game protectionist, for it is powerful if not 
very agile, and has been known to kill birds as large and vigorous as Ravens. 
Depredations are usually committed by young and inexperienced birds in 
search of easy prey, but the fact that the species has already spent months 
industriously hunting ground-squirrels and gophers and will do so another 
season if spared, should more than counterbalance any injuries it may 
inflict in the meanwhile. Where rodents are a serious economic problem, 
the Red-tailed Hawk is too valuable to be destroyed except under severe 
provocation. 
Hypothetical: 
339. Red-shouldered Hawk (Including Red-bellied Hawk). Buteo lineatus. L, 
18-30. Smaller than the Red-tailed or Swainson’s Hawks, but larger than the Broad- 
winged. The juvenile is coloured much like the young light phases of those birds. Adults 
are solidly light tawny-rufous below, more or less softly barred with lighter, and lined with 
fine, dark, shaft streaks. Tail and wings are barred with dark and light, decidedly so in 
the adult, less in the juvenile. 
Distinctions. Separated from all comparable Hawks except the Red-tailed by having 
four instead of three first primaries emarginate (like Figure 213). In nearly all plumages, 
the shoulders or lesser wing coverts are strongly rusty. 
Field Marks. Too rare in western Canada and too like other species to be accurately 
identified by sight. 
Distribution. Eastern North America, north to the spruce forest. West to western 
Ontario. Also the Californian coast. Its presence in Manitoba has been suspected but 
never demonstrated. Sight records of its occurrence on the southern British Columbian 
coast have been reported, but are withdrawn by the observer and may be disregarded. 
It should be looked for carefully, especially in Manitoba, but identified with caution. 
SUBSPECIES. The eastern and California members of this species, though entirely 
isolated from each other, are yet listed as subspecies of a single species. The western 
form, known as the Red-bellied Hawk Buteo lineatus elegans, differs from the Eastern 
Red-shouldered Buteo lineatus lineatus in being considerably richer and brighter in colour 
and seems to have different habits and bearing. It is described as being owl-like in flight, 
which cannot be said of the eastern bird, and the two forms may yet prove to be specifically 
distinct 
342. Swainson’s Hawk. Buteo swainsoni. L, 20. Plate XXVI B. Nearly equa 
in size to the Red-tail. Although it has a light and dark phase and shows an equally bewild- 
ering variety of coloration it never has a red tail. A common juvenile plumage is very 
similar to many young Red-tailed: above, dark brown; below, white slightly tinged with 
buff, and variably striped with dark on flanks and across breast. Perhaps the most 
characteristic adult coloration shows mostly fight below, whitest on throat, with a broken, 
or continuous darker band of some shade of brown across the breast. The black phase, 
when complete, is uniform dark brown {See Plate XXVI B) similar to the corresponding 
plumages of the Red-tailed and the Rough-legged. 
Distinctions. Separated from the Rough-Legged by the bare instead of feathered 
tarsi (like Figure 211, instead of 219). Distinguished from the Red-tailed by slightly 
smaller average size and by having three instead of four first primaries emarginate, and the 
third and fourth (not the fifth) equal and longest, forming the tip of the wing and making the 
wing slightly more pointed than that of the Red-tailed (compare Figures 215 and 213). 
