This was a really helpful, succinct explanation. I particularly liked it because it confirmed a couple of identifications I'd made recently! I feel better equipped to recognize these juveniles after your guidance. Thanks.

Perfect - thanks! Came home from a walk and had seen a large hawk that was mostly white underneath and was wondering what it was. Figured out was one of these three. My guess was broad wing. But the skreel sounded like what I associate with the red shoulders which are the ones that seem to like our backyard. The tail was kind of squared off looking though. And the wings seemed more straight out than a red shoulder. But at least next time I'll have some hints to better know what I'm looking at. Thanks!

Very good explanation, it's tough to tell and often I can't even guess without gettinga photo and analyzing it for 10 minutes to make a guess. What regions are broad wing and red shouldered hawks from? I'm in NY and I've never seen either of those, I have seen red tails, goss, harriers, marsh, cooper's, sharp shins & kestrals.

Thanks…that was very helpful

Great overview David!

Observing red shouldered hawks I almost almost feel like it’s like a buteo and accipiter mated together and thus the red shouldered hawk was born. lol. All joking aside though from observing red shoulder hawks a lot of behavior really does remind me of an accipiter. I think out and all the buteos I’ve observed I think I see them more in the woods than the other two species of buteos. I also think for a buteo They seem to be the most agile, especially if you’ve ever watched them fly in the forest, though I know they’re definitely nowhere near as quick as agile as an accipiter. I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt that way about the red shoulder hawk. Yeah, I will stay here to the Poconos between them and the red tailed hawks. I think I see them the most out of any species of bird of prey. I usually see them at least once or twice in a day.

Thank you very much for this, this is what I really needed!

Can you also share these different hawk calls too? Not sure ID shape is enough

I'm trying to ID some in our neighborhood--looks more like a red-tailed, but sounds more like a broad-winged hawk. The scream ends on a higher note.

For me, it seems more common to see Swainson hawks in the backyards. I've had one kill my duck in VA and a baby swainson in MS yard.