One of the most beautiful hawk in California. The red-shouldered hawk is a secretive bird. Although some rare birds seem to be more tolerant of human disturbance, most are very wary of humans. These are the variety "elegans" and are a little smaller than other varieties and more deep in red color. They are 17" to 24" inches in length and the females are usualy bigger. There is no difference in color for the sex. Both sex are very vocal and this is a great help in locating the bird. This is by far the most vocal bird of prey around here. They have a short and repetitive call (5 to 10 times) that is very distinctive. They eat small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects. This bird is usually sexually mature at 2 years.