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That sharp, insistent cry is the call of a red-shouldered hawk.

This rather secretive raptor can be hard to spot, perching in a stand of trees along

a riverside.

But once you see it, there is no mistaking the striking hawk for any other.

The front of its body and its shoulders are a glowing bright chestnut, and its back

is boldly patterned in black and white.

Red-shouldered hawks could be found throughout much of the eastern United States, as well

as in California, west of the Sierra Nevada's.

Red-shoulders are versatile hunters, and lead chipmunks, voles, snakes, frogs, and even

crawfish.

They hunt by diving on prey in the forest, swooping low across an open field, or even snatching

a frog or a snake right from the water's surface.

So, when you're in the right neck of the woods, keep an ear out for an emphatic cry,

and keep your eyes peeled for a gorgeous, red-shouldered hawk.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

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