Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk, adult

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Sharp-shinned Hawk, juvenile

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A small hawk, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is a regular visitor to bird feeders, where it eats birds, not seed. The male and female show a greater disparity in size than any other American hawk; the female is nearly twice the weight of the male.

Description

• Small hawk.
• Tail long, barred, and ends with a square tip.
• Wings short and rounded.
• Adults with blue-gray back and wings, reddish barring on underparts.

• Size: 24-34 cm (9-13 in)
• Wingspan: 43-56 cm (17-22 in)
• Weight: 87-218 g (3.07-7.7 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar in plumage; female substantially larger.

Sound

Call a series of sharp "kik" notes.

Conservation Status

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is listed as a species of concern in several states and provinces. Although migration-count data have indicated a decline in populations, breeding survey data indicate an increase. Like most raptors, this species is poorly monitored and its precise habitat requirements are poorly known. In particular, understanding its sensitivity to forest fragmentation and various land-use practices will be important for conserving future populations.

Other Names

Épervier brun (French)
Gavilán pajarero (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• After the young leave the nest, the adults pass food to the young in mid-air. The parents give the prize to the first young hawk to reach them, hovering briefly and kicking the prey outward just as the fledgling arrives.

• Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers declined during the DDT pesticide years (mid-1940s to 1972), but rebounded after DDT was banned.

• Sharp-shinned Hawks migrate south out of Canada in the fall and are observed at hawk watches in very large numbers. The hawks follow similar landscape features and often are concentrated in certain areas. Over 11,000 Sharp-shinned Hawks were seen on one October day at Cape May Point, New Jersey.

• The habit of hunting around bird feeders has been suggested as an explanation for the decrease in numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks seen at eastern hawk watches. Fewer hawks may be migrating south, preferring instead to stay farther north near a dependable food source: feeder birds.

Sources used to construct this page:

Bildstein, K. L., and K. Meyer. 2000. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 482 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.