Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Always Hunting

While bike-riding at the Flatwoods Wilderness Park, I couldn't help to notice this wonderful bird staring from a tree at its surroundings. Our presence there didn't seem to mind it until I got close enough to get a picture of it, and most likely become an annoyance. These birds are expected to live about an average two years in the wild, but have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity. These birds are also called hen hawks and are a nuisance to poultry farmers who some times resort to killing them. An excellent resource to learn more about this type of hawk can be found on the Animal Diversity Web from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.