By: Sally Siko-Admin Birdwatching NC

A few days ago, while visiting Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs N.C. I found a Red-shouldered Hawk sitting on a low branch right next to the trail.
Viewing this beautiful bird from less than 20 feet away, I was surprised to see her up close as she was focused on scanning the area for prey, totally unbothered by my presence.
I stood there for about 5 minutes watching before something in the bushes behind her caught her attention and she flew off to investigate.
Just awesome!

Here in central North Carolina, Red-shouldered Hawks are often found in deciduous forests, along the tree lines of open fields and near small to medium sized bodies of water( the habitat here at Bass Lake Park is a great example).
They prefer to hunt in places where the lower part of the forest canopy is relatively open, which gives a perched hawk an unobstructed view of the ground below.
Like the bird featured in this post, Red-shouldered Hawks are commonly seen perching on low level branches, still as a statue watching for movement on the ground.
Once prey is targeted, they’ll dive straight down onto it or glide in on an angle from the side.
Because these hawks are relatively less agile in the air than other raptors (such as Red Tailed and Sharpies), their diet includes a much smaller percentage of birds.
Having extra room to deftly maneuver through the trees while flying is another reason why they prefer to hunt in habitats with un-thicketed forest floors or grasslands.