Diet
What do red-shouldered hawks eat?
Frogs, snakes, rodents and large insects.
Hawks and eagles (Accipitridae)Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
Spring and summer diet
- Frogs, snakes, chipmunks and crayfish
Fall and winter diet
- Voles, mice and small birds
Best feeder foods
- None — wet woodland is the habitat
A woodland hawk of leafy suburbs, often perching low over ponds and yards. Blue Jays copy its call.
Where red-shouldered hawks need winter food
Regions where red-shouldered hawks are present in the cold months:
AlabamaArkansasCaliforniaConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasVermontVirginiaWest VirginiaWisconsin
Frequently asked
What do red-shouldered hawks eat?
Frogs, snakes, rodents and large insects.
What is the best food to feed red-shouldered hawks?
None — wet woodland is the habitat.
What do red-shouldered hawks eat in winter?
Voles, mice and small birds.
Sources
- Red-shouldered Hawk — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-shouldered Hawk life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-shouldered Hawk — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.