Hawks and eagles (Accipitridae)
Baby red-shouldered hawks: from egg to fledgling
A Red-shouldered Hawk lays 2–5 eggs. They hatch after 32–40 days, and the young leave the nest 35–45 days later — about 67–85 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 32–40 days
- Time in the nest
- 35–45 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 67–85 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Stick nest in the main crotch of a tall tree
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (32–40 days): 2–5 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (35–45 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season red-shouldered hawks mainly eat frogs, snakes, chipmunks and crayfish.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young red-shouldered hawks are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When red-shouldered hawks nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Feb) and latest in Maine (Apr). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Feb–Jun |
| Arkansas | Mar–Jun |
| California | Feb–Jun |
| Connecticut | Mar–Jun |
| Delaware | Mar–Jun |
| Florida | Feb–Jun |
| Georgia | Feb–Jun |
| Illinois | Mar–Jun |
| Indiana | Mar–Jun |
| Iowa | Mar–Jun |
| Kansas | Mar–Jun |
| Kentucky | Mar–Jun |
| Louisiana | Feb–Jun |
| Maine | Apr–Jun |
| Maryland | Mar–Jun |
| Massachusetts | Mar–Jun |
| Michigan | Mar–Jun |
| Minnesota | Apr–Jun |
| Mississippi | Feb–Jun |
| Missouri | Mar–Jun |
| Nebraska | Mar–Jun |
| New Brunswick | Apr–Jun |
| New Hampshire | Apr–Jun |
| New Jersey | Mar–Jun |
| New York | Mar–Jun |
| North Carolina | Mar–Jun |
| North Dakota | Apr–Jun |
| Nova Scotia | Apr–Jun |
| Ohio | Mar–Jun |
| Oklahoma | Mar–Jun |
| Ontario | Apr–Jun |
| Pennsylvania | Mar–Jun |
| Quebec | Apr–Jun |
| Rhode Island | Mar–Jun |
| South Carolina | Feb–Jun |
| South Dakota | Mar–Jun |
| Tennessee | Mar–Jun |
| Texas | Feb–Jun |
| Vermont | Apr–Jun |
| Virginia | Mar–Jun |
| West Virginia | Mar–Jun |
| Wisconsin | Apr–Jun |
Found a baby Red-shouldered Hawk?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about red-shouldered hawks
Frequently asked
How long do baby red-shouldered hawks stay in the nest?
About 35–45 days after hatching. Eggs take 32–40 days to hatch, so it is roughly 67–85 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Red-shouldered Hawk lay?
2–5 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do red-shouldered hawks nest?
Stick nest in the main crotch of a tall tree.
What should I do if I find a baby Red-shouldered Hawk on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.