Critter of the Month

by Connie Kent, photos by Fran Yates

Uncommon bird alert! Not rare, like the Costa’s Hummingbird, but still, uncommon. Fran Yates first began seeing the Red-shouldered hawk last November, first in the Plaza Parking lot, later in the parking area behind the Manor, and finally, just this last month, once again in the Plaza parking lot, perched on a street light (the photo with the moon).

In both John Kemper’s Southern Oregon’s Bird Life (2002) and The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America (2003), the bird is listed as rare in this area. The Rogue Valley Audubon Society’s 2001 Birds of Jackson County, Oregon, shows them as present, though not common, during the winter months and rare and irregular during the summer. Of course, these three publications are all twenty years old.

But Kemper observes that, while they are common in California, Red-shouldered hawks seem to be expanding their range. And that may explain why we’re seeing them more now. In the last four years, 32 sightings have been reported on the RVM campus, starting with Kay Wylie’s report in October of 2018.

Carolyn Auker, of the RVM birding group, says Red-shouldered Hawks are year round residents in the valley now. If Kemper is correct, we may begin seeing them more regularly. Look for them at this time of year. You’re not likely to see them in the summer.