HH5 - Red-shouldered hawk Traditional Cache

This cache is part of the Haunted Hollow 5 event and is located just off one of the many trails located in Sleepy Hollow State Park.  Most of the trails are well groomed and hard packed making a bike a great way to get to the caches in the area.

A Michigan Passport is required for entry to the park and may be purchased there.  Keep in mind during hunting season to be aware of hunters in the area.  Hunting is allowed from September 15 untill April 1st each year.

Buteo lineatus

Red-shouldered hawk

Key Characteristics

Adult Red-shouldered hawks can be distinguished by the reddish coloration of their underparts and wing linings and their 5 - 6 narrow, white tail bands. In flight, they show crescent-shaped translucent patches lining the bases of the long, outermost wing feathers (the "primaries"). These patches are sometimes referred to as "windows". The bird's red shoulders are often not readily visible. Their call during the breeding season is distinctive; a loud, rapidly repeated "kee-yer", though it is closely imitated by Blue jays. Immatures have their underparts streaked with brown, teardrop-shaped spots.

Habitat

Red-shouldered hawks will nest in a variety of habitats but seem to be closely associated with mature forests in or adjacent to wet meadows and swamps.

Natural Community Types

• Floodplain forest
• Southern hardwood swamp
• Mesic southern forest
• Dry-mesic northern forest
• Dry-mesic southern forest
• Mesic northern forest