Habitat Use and Nest-Site Selection by Red-Shouldered Hawks in Arkansas

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Abstract
We conducted roadside surveys in bottomland habitats of Arkansas to determine the distribution of red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) with respect to several environmental features. Taped red-shouldered hawk vocalizations were broadcast at regular intervals (stops) along survey routes to elicit hawk responses. Red-shouldered hawks were detected at 64 of 280 stops. They were encountered most frequently in oak-gum-cypress forest, followed by elm-ash-cottonwood forest and oak-hickory forest. No hawks were detected in oak-pine forest or agricultural habitat. We sampled nine habitat characteristics at 19 nest sites and at 120 random sites. Nests of red-shouldered hawks were consistently located near water in areas with a relatively tall canopy and dense understory. Availability of suitable nest sites may be a critical factor influencing the distribution of red-shouldered hawks, and our analyses suggest that favorable sites are more common in oak-gum-cypress forest than in other habitats studied.

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