---
title: "Red-shouldered Hawk"
description: "Buteo lineatus — Birds. The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized buteo."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/red-shouldered-hawk
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Red-shouldered Hawk

> Buteo lineatus — Birds. The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized buteo.

- Scientific name: *Buteo lineatus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 174759
- Wikidata: [Q1052043](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1052043)
- iNaturalist taxon: [5206](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/5206)

## Names

- en: Red-shouldered Hawk
- de: Rotschulterbussard
- es: Aguililla pecho rojo
- fr: Buse à épaulettes
- nl: Roodschouderbuizerd
- pt: Bútio-ruivo
- pl: Myszołów rdzawoskrzydły

## Countries with the most observations

US (162429), CA (1977), MX (1258)

## Summary

The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized buteo. Its breeding range spans eastern North America, along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. It is a permanent resident throughout most of its range, though northern birds do migrate, mostly to central Mexico. The main conservation threat to the widespread species is deforestation.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-shouldered_hawk

## Photo

![Red-shouldered Hawk](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/red-shouldered-hawk/medium.jpg)

Photo: Erik Schiff · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/160977484

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/red-shouldered-hawk?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).