Falconry: The Red-Shouldered Hawk  

When I was new to the sport of falconry, I flew a passage red tail with minimal success catching game. But in 1973, I was given a passage tiercel red shoulder hawk to try out. It was a perfectly manned to the hood and trained it like it was my poor-man's goshawk. Well, this bird took ground squirrels for me and sort of prepared me for my first goshawk that I flew the following year. In my opinion, red shouldered hawks are a capable falconry bird.

Awesome video as always. You are such a great story teller as well as teacher. Thank you for all you do!

Thanks! This is the raptor I'm most familiar with. There are always several who breed near my house, and I get to see it all, from their courtship chases, to chick rearing, to hunting. Awesome birds. I think I've said this before, but anything on kites would be fascinating.

This video made me want to try and hunt with a red shoulder even more, thanks Ben!

Thanks for this topic. I convinced I’ll have to try one. RS hawks nest every year in my woods and when I mention it to the local falconers, they say “bird’s worthless, legs too long, feet to small”. I like the idea of hunting for upland birds. I know my pointer would like it. Great job Ben.

I remember seeing a red-shouldered hawk chasing a cotton tailed rabbit and eating it right next to people, where I live the red-shouldered Hawks have completely lost their fear for humans. I also remember a person fixing their car and a red-shouldered hawk was right above him on a tree it was a small tree to.

An interesting characteristic of the Red-shouldered Hawk, being a woodland buteo, is that it twiddles its tail like accipiters. I imagine the Grey Hawk does the same thing. It's terrific to hear you advocate training of non-traditional species like harriers, rough-legs and Red-shouldered Hawks. As you say, if you're "passionate" about a particular species, go for it. Some excellent falconers exclusively fly one or maybe two species of birds year after year. That kind of falconry, while often spectacular, would be too redundant and predictable for me. Variety really is the spice of life.

I have personally seen wild Red Shouldered hawks take gray squirrels and many birds especially in the winter here in MD.

Hi Ben, I like your video but the RS range map you showed is outdated by about 30 years. The west coast subspecies, "elegans", has expanded it's range considerably and is found as far north as Canada and at least as far east as Utah and throughout the Great Basin (you mentioned seeing them in Utah on occasion). I see passage redshoulders every fall in north central Nevada, usually along the river bottoms where there are larger trees for them to either hunt from or seek cover in. I flew a 500g rescue brancher male off the fist in the Carson City area three years ago and was quite impressed with his abilities. He was very fast off the fist and would fly out and pin distant valley quail in the brush while waiting for me to catch up and flush them. We only got one quail in the bag, one that bounced off a window when we flushed it, but he had a couple super close, near misses and was certainly fast enough to catch them on the rise. He had a couple near misses on pheasant in California, as well, before we relocated to Nevada in December. He started molting early, dropping flight feathers January 2nd, so our season was cut short. He also liked to chase jackrabbits and terrorize them, but not make contact. He easily could catch up to and stick with a frightened jack. I would recommend flying a brancher and training it like an accipiter. Treating the hawk like a buteo or trapping a passage RS is probably going to be an exercise in futility for most falconers. Regarding foot strength--worst I've ever been footed by any hawk was by a large freshly trapped female passage RS. I bled like a stuck hog from being careless. My 500g male killed large bagged woodrats and quail almost instantly and easily handled bagged female pheasant and cottontails, as they always go for the head and neck on larger quarry.

Thank you very much for this video. had made another comment a couple of days ago requesting a video on Red Shoulders. I hadn't found this video. Today it popped up in my search bar. Very good video.

I agree here in San Antonio Texas we have tons of breeding Red shouldered Hawks and I watch them hunt all the time. I regularly watch 2 couples and they are very impressive hunters. Their agility and power is remarkable and you don’t see them have their quarry get away much.

This video has definitely peaked my interest in this species! I’ve never hunted with a bird, but it’s definitely something I’d like to do someday, and I absolutely love the idea of hunting squirrels, rabbits, birds, and even bullfrogs in the hardwood forests and swamps of the southeast.

Great video. I am a falconer in South Louisiana and we consistently see Red-Shouldered hawks while out trapping for Red tails. While a couple falconers down here have kept a Red-Shouldered for a short time, they have not been given a huge effort in this area. In the future when given the right time I could see myself giving this bird a try

First time being the first one. Thank you Ben you are so productive!

Great video as always. I went on a run today and just happened to see a red shouldered here in TN.

that short clip of the flight, the wing beat looked like a pregrine, even to the long tail, but one suddenly notes those huge wings! Interesting discussion, and it sounds like there are definite pluses to the species, especially in somewhat more complex vegetation, where its maneuverability, and speed, would be interesting...

Renewing my license and and getting stoked about trying a red shouldered!

Instantly Subscribed great info !!!!

Thanks Ben! I have asked for this. Well, somebody has to do it, I pledge to become the Coulsons of RS hawks and the Steve Chindgen of Grey Hawks!

My first falconry bird was a red shouldered hawk which trained when I was 15 years old in South Florida. I was able to hunt quail and some rabbits in the 1970s. I had a friend that also hunted with a red shoulder. My male red shoulder came to the lure well, followed me through the woods. I got my red shoulder as a branch hawk in the Everglades off Tamiami Trail. I hunted him in Homestead, the blimp base, and near my home in Perrine. In the 1070s quail were common. After many years of falconry, I plan on training one again. Red shoulder hawks are still common in South Florida. I taught myself falconry through books. I knew falconers such as Greg Hoak, and David Kennedy but there was no apprentice program at that time.

These hawks return to my property every year and raise their young. I love them.

I am a veterinarian in Aliso Viejo, CA. You are welcome to Southern California if you want to see a red-shoulder family. We live across the street from Barbara's Lake Trail in Aliso Viejo and we are observing a nest in the Eucalyptus trees adjacent to the trail. We would love to host you for dinner and we have a telescope to watch the hawks in action. We are birds-of-prey lovers and really enjoy your videos! Cheers!

Wonderful discussion Ben. I have a red shouldered Hawk here in NC that visits my backyard almost daily for a good hour in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon for about an hour as well. We seem to have an abundance of them lately speaking with other people about the Hawk. To your point and their feeding behavior, I see it walking on the lawn eating frequently...worms and bugs I'm guessing. It's my first personal contact with a Hawk. Fascinating for sure. I'm hooked!

Outstanding! Thank you.

I'd be curious in seeing a video like this for the Great-Horned owl. Also the Ornate Hawk-Eagle.

I just finished reading the book “Red Shouldered Hawk” and I’d highly recommend it for those who are interested in these birds. Ben, could you please do a video on “Jangoli” style of hunting which is slightly described in the book. There is very little information available and your opinion would be appreciated. I also purchased your trapping book which has a wealth of information and well described.

Very good video. I was just looking for them on youtube because I saw one today in san Diego. Beutiful.

Red tailed hawks are excellent squirrel catchers. I've seen them feed their families almost exclusively on squirrels many times.

Information other than that is very useful. Video and editing is outstanding

Good evening, Ben. In medieval Europe, falconers knew that buteos could catch small jackrabits in the wild, but they did not consider it knightly. And if you force any falconry predator into disproportionately large catches after some time to fly. These were the two main reasons why they did not use the species buteos in falconry. Excellently processed video. I recommend your videos to all my falconry apprentices.

Ferruginous Hawk in Falconry, or Training your first Longwing

I might be a bad falconer for it, but I choose my kinds of birds for what prey is around and their personality. I saw this dude at a nature center and he looked pretty personable

Ben you have to write a book about this, your vision of the mind that of all those animals

Do you think you might do a similar introductory video for the Ferruginous Hawk? They are in abundance in my area during fall and winter.

Only just found your channel....impressed with you style.. just sent my daughter your info, she's nearly 12 very much into falconry. Im no longer in the game (peregrine falcons UK) and you seem....more interesting then dad doing a lesson lol....many thanks for the fun video

Hi Ben,1st I want to say I've been watching your videos for several years, and been fascinated with this art for over 40 years. Well I finally took my exam and passed the 1 st time this week and I' feel like a kid again. So, the following my passing, I came across a pair of 1 st year red shoulders id exactly the same as the " calie hawkers club" id of translucent wing patch. This pair was bared lightly, yet creamy to white, and yes very noisy like a jay. You got my attention with the off the first and acipertine woodland flight style, even despite the smaller feet, as compared to the larger red tail. My interest is ultimately in pheasant, as know can be unpredictable in a flush. This red shoulders with ground game may be a nice adversary to cock who may flush to flight, or take off on foot. I may wall keep up with this pair come Sept and take mine from there. I would love some of input! As you point out, the red tail was laughed at until work got it taking rabbits, and the same was true of the Harris's as well. Anything you you come across I would to hear about. Cheer's!

I’ll be flying a Ferruginous hawk next season. Would love to see you video and take on them

you should do a video on broad-winged hawks.

It's funny you briefly mentioned harriers: in new zealand, the only bird you can legally fly for falconry is the australasian harrier, and they hunt them on hare. Pretty cool...in regards to the RS--they are literally everywhere around where I live--I'm tempted to give one a shot, but the one guy I know who personally flew one had nothing good to say about it. He told me it would fly to the ground and start walking around, looking for lizards or frogs. It also went for his face like a goshawk would lol...he got fed up and turned it loose. This was in Houston years ago.

Until 2005/2006 Red shouldered hawks were very rare here in South central Kansas. Now 15 years later I can find one with ease. They don't migrant from the area they are year round. If I drive East 20 miles the fade out due to the lack of trees, along the Arkansas river corridor they are quite common now even nesting in cities (ok towns!). An area bird count had some out West around Dodge city KS this year! My observation is from point A to point B a Red should is faster, but a Red tails A to B will be a greater distance.

Just yesterday I was in the car and I saw three bald eagles, at least on red tail but there were two other buteos I think are red tails, and a peregrine falcon

How do you prevent this during molt when still working bird for exercise/fly ups, etc. and its receiving tidbits.. would you reward off glove more like to a baited lure so reward isnt happening on the glove just the lure?

Got a beautiful red shouldered hangs out around my neighborhood in suburban indianapolis. Perch hunts in the evenings in my yard. Beautiful bird. He spooks easy, and is camera shy lol got a good photo of him from inside my house. Outside it's like he knows I want a picture and is like Nope!

Hey man I live in Oklahoma between St Louis and Shawnee, me and my brother found a fledgling hawk of some kind if I send you a picture of it could you possibly identify what kind of hawk it is for me please?

If falconry was only about catching as much game as possible then we would only be flying Goshawks and Peregrines. On another note I think we get too caught up in our taxonomic definitions. For example Harris Hawks are considered parabuteos they could just as easily be called para-accipiters, because they have just about as much in common with an accipiter as they do a bueto, which is not much. You could probably list the same number of differences between a Harris hawk and redtailed hawk as you could a goshawk and redtailed hawk. Cant we just say that buteos, hawks, hawk eagles, and eagles don't really exist as distinct groups. You can probably hybridize most of these species anyways. The differences are less distinct than we make them out to be. An eagle is just a really big hawk, a buzzard is a long winged hawk, an accipiter is a short winged hawk, a hawk eagle is a ferruginous hawk. :P

could you do a video on the little known zone tailed hawk?

Grey hawks (nitidus/pagiatus) are sometimes used in Mexico. I myself flew a male which would go after bunnies without a second thought (out of 4 times he only hold on to one), hunted a few birds including an accidental shrike. Falconers who have hunted with females excel on rabbits and quail are a common species taken. Regards

Hey Ben, me and my brother saw a wild red-shoulder in a tree, it act like it was fat and didn't have a worry in the world, and we also found a dead rabbit, it looked like it had been eaten by a hawk.

You should know that the grey hawk is split into two species now, the gray hawk and the gray-lined hawk. Plus gray hawks have four primaries on their wing tips like the broad winged hawk and swainsons hawk while red shouldered hawks have five.

Sounds like the red shouldered would be great for a creative Florida falconer to hunt invasive iguanas in trees.

I’ve seen a red-shoulder outmaneuver a whole gang of crows. Led them into a group of trees, got them turned around, and bolted out the way it came in. Screaming like a dying seagull the entire way

I looked at that graph you showed on the the range and breeding range of Redtails vs redshoulders, and I am curious. I have a nest of redtails across the way. I have seen that nest there for the last 20 years and ever year I see parents, and I see the jouvenile. He is still here. and he hunts here and has not fully left the nest. I am in southern california. So where did the parents go? The passage bird is hunting but hes still here. I typically see this young redtail in nearby trees. but I do not see the parents. They have been MIA since late fall.

I once trapped an adult red shoulder, by accident. It was not that afraid of me. It was neverous as I took it off the trap but when I released it , it flew up into a tree right above my head and just perched there looking at me. It was bout 10 feet above my head. It stayed there until I walked away.

birds of prey often grow fast but matures slowly

Do you think it would be a good squirrle hawk?

I wonder how much of this also apply to Broad-Winged Hawks.

This is so cool I’ve been studying for my falconry exam and I live in Florida only question I have is can I do the exam during covid

Hello my Name is Ben:.........and I have a Lanner addiction.

Red-shoulder and gray hawk, the deference is the color, what about the Gyrfalcon, they are white, and they are also black. To me, gray and red are closer to each other then black and white.

One fell out of it's nest in my yard. Maaaaybe 25-35 days old? Has both baby down and adult feathers. I couldn't leave it to die slowly by the death of a thousand burning cuts that is fire ants. Been eating pretty good. Any care advice would be appreciated 🙏 It fell out of a pine tree, so no I can't put it back in the nest. And no local wildlife shelters are present here. I'm trying to get it to where it can fend for itself.

Isn't the term "buteo" the genus rather than the family?

Hey Ben do you think red shoulders could be used for squirrel hawking?

Stay on subject redshoulder hawk!!

I think red shoulder hawks breed in KY. We see them here all year.

I'm not a falconer, just like birds of prey. Is there any history of falconers trying the Broad Winged hawk? They are about the same size as a RS hawk. BTW, how is a western Red Tail "much smaller" than an eastern one? They seem about the same size to me. Grew up in Indiana, now live in Utah, the ones here look about the same size, just different darker plumage. I have seen them flying in the same area as Fergies and they seem almost as big and Fergies are the largest hawks.

I watched these guys hunt pidgeon by the food store I work at in indiana and I've even seen a pair work together and smack a pidgeon out of the air, unfortunately I saw one if them getting attacked by a murder of crows and I haven't seen them in a while

Terns can be beautiful birds. They caught my fancy. I wonder what could be done with them. Also white pelicans. And great blue herons. And white egrets. I say dream the impossible and make it happen. The grass is greener where there is love.

I am a florida falconer seen several red Shoulder flown . And live with them all around my house.They may appear but are not as fast as a Redtail. RT are like eagles deceivingly fast. With gps on Harris and RT I know now RT are actually faster than both species. Plus RT are natural predators of rabbits and hares red Shoulder are not . In my opinion their best use would be car hawking .

feathers. talk about feathers. lol. Great videos. So are there any falconers that use red shoulder hawks or grey hawks? I never evber heard of a gre3y hawk before.

How about competing with owls? I see red shouldered and barred owls

descrimination against RSH has been institutionalized. If you live inside a box all you will know is the inside of a box.

Probably Cuban brown anole, green anole or bark anole

going to try one for pigeon lamping this year

It's ok to try a different flavor of KoolAid.

I don't think that a red shoulder hawk should be used as a beginner's bird they don't think like a red tail hawk and accipiters tend to have an attitude. But then everyone has gotten used to redtail hawks, they are a classic so why bother flying a smaller buteo than a red tail hawk unless if you have an open mind and if you are really passionate.

In one of your videos.... you said that the houbara bustard is related to killdeers?? ....And turkey sized.... Actually they aren't related to plovers (it's the stone curlew) and are almost the size of large rooster! Don't mind me .... Please.... ! Your videos are brilliant though. 👍❤ Love from India...❤

Whats with this Red Shouldered Hawk stuff, where is my Crested Caracara video?

Hey Ben, your welcome to come trap a red shouldered hawk with me.

No one is trying th RSH because it's the running joke. Like a moped fun to ride but you don't want your friends to see you riding it because it's not cool. Effort Should be put into the RsH just remove the ego.a crescent wrench will not make a good hammer although you could use it as one but it wouldn't be effective. USE IT FOR WHAT ITS DESIGNED FOR AND YOULL HAVE BETTER RESULTS.

Red shouldered?, maybe you mean Harris hawk?

Too much talking too little hawking

Stop with the goofy cartoon dialogue.