Buteo lineatus
The Red-shouldered Hawk's call is a loud, ringing "kee-aah", the second note dragging downward, usually given several times in a row. It is one of the noisiest hawks in eastern woods and in Florida and California neighborhoods, especially from late winter into spring. Before you name it, rule out a Blue Jay: jays copy this call very well.
“kee-aah, kee-aah”
Every sound the Red-shouldered Hawk makes
3 sounds to learn, 2 with a recording.
Kee-aah Call
High pitch · Series
A loud, clear, slightly nasal scream in two parts, KEE-aah: a sharp, stressed first note and a drawn-out second note that falls. It usually comes in a run of several calls, then a pause, then another run. Hawks use it to claim territory and when alarmed, and a pair is easy to sort out by ear, since the female's voice is noticeably lower than the male's.
“kee-aah, kee-aah”
All year, but most from late winter until incubation starts; pairs often call while circling high over the nest woods.
Soft Kee and Kak Notes
Mid pitch · Varied
Quieter calls you hear only close to a nest: a soft single "kee" from a female on the nest, and a quick "kak-kak-kak" during the breeding season. They lack the ringing, falling second note of the main call.
Breeding season, near an active nest.
Young Hawk Kee-aah
High pitch · Repeated
Young hawks work up to the kee-aah while still in the nest, starting with short, rough versions and sounding more like adults as they grow. A run of kee-aah calls from the same trees in late spring and early summer may be young birds rather than adults.
Late spring and early summer, around the nest.
What to listen for
- Loud, two-part kee-aah calls in a run of several, then quiet for a while.
- The second half of each call falls away; a Red-tailed Hawk gives one long, hoarse scream instead.
- If the "hawk" is hidden in a shrub or near a feeder, check for a Blue Jay (or a Steller's Jay in California).
- Listen along wooded streams, swamps and leafy suburbs from January to April, when pairs are most vocal.
Birds that sound like the Red-shouldered Hawk
By ear: Blue Jays copy this call well enough to catch out experienced birders, so let context decide. A jay is usually hidden low in a tree or near a feeder, and it often slips back into ordinary jay calls.
By ear: In California, Steller's Jays copy the kee-aah too. A caller that follows up with harsh shook-shook-shook notes is the jay.
By ear: A Red-tailed Hawk gives one hoarse, falling scream, kee-eeeee-arr, lasting two to three seconds, usually while soaring. It is raspier and longer, and comes one at a time rather than in quick runs of two-part calls.
By ear: Broad-winged Hawks give a thin, high, whistled kee-eee, a short note then a long one. It is softer and higher than the Red-shoulder's ringing call.
When and where you'll hear it
When
Most vocal from January to April, during the day.
- Daytime
Where
Year round across most of the eastern US, from Florida and the Gulf Coast north to the southern Great Lakes and southern New England. Farther north, into Maine, Michigan and Minnesota, it is mainly a summer bird that heads south for winter. A separate population lives in California west of the Sierra Nevada and has spread north through Oregon into Washington.
- Florida
- One of the most familiar hawk voices in the state, calling from towns and suburbs as well as swamps.
- California
- Calls in any month, most of all during courtship from late winter into spring. Steller's Jays here do the impression.
- Woods
- Wetlands
- Yards
- Cities
Practice the Red-shouldered Hawk in the app
Practice the “kee-aah, kee-aah” until you can name it without looking. Wings & Whistles plays it in 2 interactive listening lessons, mixed with the birds you’ll hear around it.
How to recognize the Red-shouldered Hawk by sight
Adults in California are often richer and redder than eastern birds, though both share the banded tail, reddish barring, and pale wing crescents.
Similar-looking species (2)
- Red-tailed Hawk: Larger and bulkier; adult Red-tails have a brick-red tail and usually a whitish breast with a dark "belly band" of streaks, lacking the rufous barring on chest.
- Broad-winged Hawk: Smaller Buteo hawk with a stockier body and shorter tail.
Red-shouldered Hawk sounds FAQ
When does the Red-shouldered Hawk call?
The Red-shouldered Hawk is most vocal from January to April, mostly during the day.