Sharp-shinned Hawk Identification

Adult (Northern)

Small, long-tailed hawk with a small head. Adult "Northern" Sharp-shinned Hawk, which breeds in Canada and the U.S., has narrow, horizontal red-orange bars on the breast.

Adult (Northern)

Adult "Northern" Sharp-shinned Hawk has blue-gray upperparts and dark bands on the tail.

Immature (Northern)

Note small head and large eye. The very long tail distinguishes this and other accipiters from other types of hawks. Immatures are brown overall with yellow eyes.

Immature (Northern)

Small raptor with thin legs and small feet. Immature "Northern" Sharp-shinned Hawk is brown above with thick brown streaks below.

Adult (Northern)

Small raptor with short, rounded wings, which are often pushed forward. Note the long square-tipped tail.

Distinctive flight style of a few quick wingbeats followed by a short glide. Note fairly small head. Because of their small size, in windy conditions Sharp-shinned Hawks can appear unsteady in flight.

Immature (Northern)

Often flies with its wings pushed forward with quick and snappy wingbeats.

Adult (Madrean)

Resident "Madrean" Sharp-shinned Hawk, found along the Sierra Madre del Sur in Guerrero to western Oaxaca, Mexico, is paler below with a pale cheek, a chestnut-washed belly, and chestnut leg feathers.

Adult/immature (Northern)

Short, rounded wings and very long tail are distinctive of accipiters. Although postures can change in flight, the small head nestled in crook of wings, and square-tipped tail, can be useful marks for Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Adult (White-breasted)

Adult "White-breasted" Sharp-shinned Hawk, resident from Chiapas, Mexico, south to Nicaragua, has unmarked white underparts and a white cheek that contrasts with the gray crown.

Immature (White-breasted)

Immature "White-breasted" Sharp-shinned Hawk has rusty streaks and spots on the underparts.

Adult (Plain-breasted)

"Plain-breasted" Sharp-shinned Hawk occurs in the Andes from western Venezuela to Bolivia. This group is highly variable, with underpart colors ranging from heavily barred (like this individual) to very pale; a dark morph also occurs.

Adult (Plain-breasted)

"Plain-breasted" Sharp-shinned Hawk occurs in the Andes from western Venezuela to Bolivia. This group is highly variable, with underpart colors ranging from heavily barred to very pale (like this individual); a dark morph also occurs.

Dark morph (Plain-breasted)

"Plain-breasted" Sharp-shinned Hawk occurs in the Andes from western Venezuela to Bolivia. This group is highly variable, with underpart colors ranging from heavily barred to very pale; a dark morph (like this individual) also occurs.

Adult (Rufous-thighed)

"Rufous-thighed" Sharp-shinned Hawk occurs in eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. Adult is nearly black above, with fine barring on the breast and rich chestnut feathers covering the upper legs (although not visible in this photo).

Immature (Rufous-thighed)

Immature "Rufous-thighed" Sharp-shinned Hawk has brown upperparts and thick brown streaking below.

Adult (Caribbean)

Adult "Caribbean" Sharp-shinned Hawk has cinnamon on the sides of the head, light barring on the breast, and a white belly.

Adult (Northern)

Eats primarily songbirds about the size of an American Robin and smaller.

Habitat

Found in forests and forest edge.