Moonring Nature Photography :: Short-tailed Hawk - Species Buteo lineatus

The Short-tailed Hawk, about the size of a crow, has long, broad wings and a relatively short, broad tail. Often soaring at great heights, it hunts the edges of mature cypress domes, pinelands, hardwood hammocks, and coastal mangrove forests. Although not designed for speed, this unusual bird-of-prey feeds primarily on birds, ranging in size from warblers to meadowlarks.

In Florida, Red-Shouldered Hawks nest in a wide variety of woodland habitats, but they are particularly identified with cypress swamps and river bottomlands. It most frequently still-hunts from a relatively low, inconspicuous perch but may also forage from a low, coursing flight. Its diet is characterized by sluggish, easily captured animals, such as toads, frogs, snakes, rodents, and small birds and their nestlings.

Typical nest sites are located in large mature trees with good canopy cover. A bulky well-built nest is usually placed a little more than halfway up the tree in a major fork. Usually two whitish eggs marked with brown are laid and incubated for approximately 33 days. The young birds fledge at 40 to 45 days of age.

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

General Information

Habitat and Range




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	Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) General Information The Short-tailed Hawk, about the size of a crow, has long, broad wings and a relatively short, broad tail. Often soaring at great heights, it hunts the edges of mature cypress domes, pinelands, hardwood hammocks, and coastal mangrove forests. Although not designed for speed, this unusual bird-of-prey feeds primarily on birds, ranging in size from warblers to meadowlarks. Habitat and Range In Florida, Red-Shouldered Hawks nest in a wide variety of woodland habitats, but they are particularly identified with cypress swamps and river bottomlands. It most frequently still-hunts from a relatively low, inconspicuous perch but may also forage from a low, coursing flight. Its diet is characterized by sluggish, easily captured animals, such as toads, frogs, snakes, rodents, and small birds and their nestlings. Typical nest sites are located in large mature trees with good canopy cover. A bulky well-built nest is usually placed a little more than halfway up the tree in a major fork. Usually two whitish eggs marked with brown are laid and incubated for approximately 33 days. The young birds fledge at 40 to 45 days of age.