Redshouldered Hawk

Description: 16 -24" A large, long-winged hawk with white barring on dark wings, rust-colored shoulders, pale underparts, narrowly banded tail, translucent area near tip of wing visible during flight	Habitat: Moist, mixed or deciduous woodlands, often near streams, swamps, wooded river bottoms. Prefers mature forests. Hunts by perching quietly on tree limbs. Very noisy in spring. Red-shouldered Hawks often return to same nesting area year after year.
Nesting: 2 or 3 white eggs spotted with brown in a large mass of leaves and twigs about 20'-60' up in a tree	Range: breeds in northern US and lower Canadian provinces south to gulf coast, winters in it's breeding range
Voice: High, shrill scream kee-yeeear, kee-yeeear, with a downward inflection	Diet: Includes rodents, snakes, lizards, insects, also occasionally snails. Old nest often becomes eating platform.

Notes: prefers lowland areas near water, swampy woods, hunts by watching from low perch, can become tame if not persecuted, breeding pair can be noisy,

When present in Oklahoma: seen primarily in eastern half of state but occur in west also