Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

The sharp-shinned hawk is our smallest accipter, 9"-13" long, with a wingspread of 20"-26."  Sexes are similar in plumage.  Females are noticeably larger than males.

The sharp-shinned hawk hunts from an inconspicuous perch in wooded areas, looking for small birds, almost its only prey.  The hawks are fond of catching birds at feeders, and they often collide with large windows.  Flight is light and buoyant, with rapid wing beats and a flap-flap-flap-glide movement.

The Cooper's hawk appears very similar, but is larger and more robust:  Tt has thicker legs; a longer, more rounded tail with wide white terminal band; and eyes placed farther forward on a squarish head.  Also, its head projects far beyond wrists when gliding.

On gliding birds, the head does not project much beyond the wing wrists.  The eye is centrally placed on the side of small rounded head and the iris is orange to red.  The tail tip is squarish with a thin white terminal band.  The legs are yellow.  The crown is the same color (or slightly darker) than blue-gray back, lacking a line of contrast with nape.  Cheeks are rufous.  The back and upper wing coverts are blue-gray, browner on females.  White underparts are finely barred rufous.  The tail has bands of dark and light brown of equal width.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk occurs primarily in northern and mountainous forests, but is widespread, particularly in winter.