Details
Buteo lineatus
A woodland hawk common in eastern North America, marked by reddish shoulders, barred underparts, and loud ringing calls.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Uses riparian forest, wet deciduous woods, swamp edges, and wooded suburbs, usually favoring mature forest near water.
Adults have rufous shoulders and breast, black-and-white wing patterning, and a dark tail with narrow white bands. Pale windows show in the wings below.
It watches from perches inside woods or along edges, calling frequently with its mate. Territorial flight displays occur in breeding season.
Small mammals, frogs, snakes, lizards, birds, and crayfish are eaten, with many prey taken near water.
Stick nests are built high in trees, often within territories reused year after year. Both adults bring material and feed chicks.
Globally low-risk; protection of wet woodland has helped some regions recover, and some populations use wooded suburbs.
