Photo: Mike Morel/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) — Birds of Prey of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 131 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Accipiter
- Species striatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 131 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sharp-shinned Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 131 g, with a wing length of about 18.2 cm and a tail of around 13.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 16.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sharp-shinned Hawk?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 131 g.
Where does the Sharp-shinned Hawk live?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sharp-shinned Hawk belong to?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Sharp-shinned Hawk eat?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Sharp-shinned Hawk migrate?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Sharp-shinned Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Sharp-shinned Hawk make?
1 real field recording of the Sharp-shinned Hawk — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sharp-shinned Hawk's range?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk has a mapped global range of about 16.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.