How can you tell the difference between red shouldered and red tailed? We have a hawk in the backyard that I’ve always assumed was a red tailed but now I’m not sure - they look so similar
Sorry about the wait yesterday was crazy. So in my personal experience between the two species is that The Red Shouldered Hawk is a smaller and more slender Ratptor over all than the Red Tailed Hawk. Red Shoulders have much thinner more slender legs and more dainty and smaller feet and talons. Red Tails are thicker bodied over all and more hulking they have far larger and wider feet with much larger talons. As youngers they do have similar markings and can be very confusing for folks to differentiate. At about 2 years old once each species reaches maturity, they get their more distinguishing adult colors. The Red Shoulders will always have the more spotted patterns and light to darker in varying birds orange breast feathers. The Red Tail will always stay buffy breasted colored but will molt out their brown multi barred tail feathers for their gorgeous Russet red feathers that give them their namesake. You can see from these shots the differnce in body types and power.
Here's my personal pics of a Red Tail thats roughly about a year and a half probably since he's got a single russet tail feather in.
Back of a Mature Red Shouldered Hawk
Front shot of the Juvi Red Tail but almost mature
And front shot of the Mature Red Shouldered