*Oology is a branch of ornithology studying bird eggs, nests and breeding behaviour. The word is derived from the Greek oion, meaning egg.

40. Red-shouldered Hawk

This part of the Stanislaus Audubon Website is focused on 44 common Central Valley nesting species with background about their nesting habits. Please check the Great Valley Museum Central Valley Egg Collection starting page for links to all the featured species.

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK NESTING INFORMATION (From birdsoftheworld.org)

Nests - Residents in California maintain their ranges throughout the year and begin to pair in February. Building or refurbishing starts before courtship ends. Nest-building may occur as early as Nov in California. Uses many species of deciduous trees and occasionally conifers. Nest is located below canopy but more than halfway up tree, generally in a crotch of main trunk. Nest is often located near some form of water, e.g., a pond, stream, or swamp, probably to facilitate access to prey. Suburban-nesting birds use eucalyptus and other non-native tree species. Both sexes take part in nest-building and refurbishing.
Eggs - Short elliptical. Dull white or faint bluish overlaid with variable brown and lavender blotches and markings. Clutch size
Incubation - 33 days
Fledging - Young are altricial. Nestlings covered in down, light buffy brown in color, eyes open, stay in nest. Care provided almost exclusively by female. In California, young at undisturbed nests left at a mean age of 45 days.

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