North America's smallest accipiter — about jay-sized, with the same long tail and short wings as a Cooper's hawk. Tiny size and ferocity make it a specialist on small songbirds.

Also called: Sharpie, Sharp-shin

Native status: Native; widespread

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 24–34 cm (9.4–13.4 in); wingspan 53–65 cm
Weight87–215 g (3.1–7.6 oz); females ~30% larger
LifespanWild typically 3 years; oldest documented 13
OrderAccipitriformes
FamilyAccipitridae

§ Encyclopedia

The sharp-shinned hawk or northern sharp-shinned hawk, colloquially often nicknamed sharpie, is a small hawk, with males being the smallest hawks in the United States and Canada, but with the species averaging larger than some Neotropical species, such as the tiny hawk. The taxonomy is far from resolved, with some authorities considering the southern taxa to represent three separate species, white-breasted hawk, plain-breasted hawk, and rufous-thighed hawk. The American Ornithological Society and some other checklists keep all four species conspecific. A recent genetic study additionally recommended splitting the three Caribbean island populations as three additional separate species, though this has not yet been adopted by any of the ornithological authorities.

Source: Wikipedia — Sharp-shinned hawk Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Tiny accipiter — blue-gray back (adults), rufous-barred underparts. Square tail tip. Females larger.

Similar species. Cooper's Hawk (larger, rounded tail). American Kestrel (rusty back, different shape).

Voice. High-pitched "kik-kik-kik" near nest.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Almost entirely small songbirds.

Behavior. Smallest accipiter in North America. Hunts feeders at high speed. Migrates in pulses along ridges and coastlines.

§ Range

Breeds across Canada and northern US; winters across the US into Central America

§ Habitat

Coniferous and mixed forests for nesting; forages widely including backyards

§ Threats

Window strikes, secondary rodenticide exposure, habitat loss on boreal breeding grounds.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the sharp-shinned hawk is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Use window decals. Provide thick shrub cover near feeders so prey can escape. Support boreal forest conservation.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Cornell Lab — All About Birds
  • HawkWatch International
  • iNaturalist
  • IUCN Red List 2016