Sharp-shinned hawks are the smallest accipiters (bird hawks) in North America. Males are 24 to 27 cm long and weigh 87 to 114 g. Females are larger, measuring 29 to 34 cm in length and weighing 150 to 218 g. Males have a wingspan of 53 to 56 cm and females 58 to 65 cm.
Sharp-shinned hawks have bluish-gray to slate colored upperparts, with darker coloration on the crown. Their underparts are white with brown bars and their short, rounded wings are dark above and light below. Females have fewer bars on the breast, and their upper parts are more brownish. Sharp-shinned hawks have a short, dark colored, hooked beak and yellow legs and feet. Their tail is square-tipped when not spread and has three to five dark stripes with a small white stripe on the tip. Molting does not change the adult’s appearance. Juveniles have more streaking and/or barring and paler coloration than adults. Sharp-shinned hawks look similar to Cooper’s hawks (Accipiter cooperii) but are smaller.
Range mass: 87 to 218 g.
Range length: 24 to 34 cm.
Range wingspan: 53 to 65 cm.
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes colored or patterned differently
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
The longest recorded lifespan for a sharp-shinned hawk is 13 years. However, most do not live longer than 3 years. Causes of mortality include predators, hunting and collisions with cars and buildings.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 19.9 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 3 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 239 months.
Sharp-shinned hawks are forest birds. They are found in pine, fir and aspen forests (among others). They can be found hunting in forest interior and edges from sea level to near alpine areas. Sharp-shinned hawks can also be found near rural, suburban and agricultural areas, where they often hunt at bird feeders.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural
Sharp-shinned hawks can be found throughout much of North America, including Mexico. In South America, they are found from Venezuela to northern Argentina. Most of the North American populations migrate to the southern parts of their range in winter.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Small birds comprise ninety percent of a sharp-shinned hawk’s diet, which also includes small mammals and large insects. Sharp-shinned hawks mainly eat Passeriformes (perching birds), but also eat Falconiformes (diurnal birds of prey), Galliformes (chicken-like birds), Charadriiformes (shorebirds and relatives), Columbiformes (doves and pigeons), Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds) and Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives). They often catch birds at feeders and take young birds from nests.
Sharp-shinned hawks are opportunistic hunters. They often hunt from a perch and dart out from hiding to catch prey. Their long, sharp talons help them to grab onto prey and their short bursts of high-speed flight help them to catch their prey. Sharp-shinned hawks pluck their prey before eating them. They get sufficient water from prey and do not need to drink.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates)
Their secretive behavior and camouflaged nests help sharp-shinned hawks avoid predators. Known predators of sharp-shinned hawks include: bald eagles (Haliacetus leucocephalus), peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and northern goshawks (Accipiter gentiles).
Known Predators:
Sharp-shinned hawks are important members of their ecosystem. Because of their food habits they likely have a regulatory influence on local small bird populations. They are also an important food source for their predators.
Sharp-shinned hawks may play a role in reducing pest species such as European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus).
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Sharp-shinned hawks prey on songbirds, game birds and domestic fowl.
Sharp-shinned hawk populations experienced declines between the 1940’s and the 1970’s. The pesticide DDT caused eggshell thinning in many raptors and reduced the success of breeding pairs (eggs were often crushed underneath incubating parents). Conservation concerns today include declines in prey species, environmental contaminants and the fragmentation and reduction of contiguous forest habitat.
Sharp-shinned hawks are protected under the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act and are listed as Appendix II by CITES.
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: appendix ii
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Sharp-shinned hawks are usually quite silent. They vocalize more frequently during the breeding season. Their alarm calls sound like “kek-kek-kek” or “kik-kik-kik.” Males make a “kip…kip” or “kew kew kew” call when approaching the nest, and females reply with a “keeeep.” Females and nestlings also make “eee” calls.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Geographic variation exists in the size and coloration of sharp-shinned hawks. There are ten recognized subspecies of Accipiter striatus. Accipiter striatus velox is the most common subspecies in North America.
Sharp-shinned hawks are closely related to Eurasian sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) and rufous-breasted sparrowhawks (Accipiter rufiuentris).
Due to the secretive nature of sharp-shinned hawks, little is known about their mating behavior. They are known to have courtship flights and are presumed to be monogamous.
Mating System: monogamous
The breeding season of sharp-shinned hawks corresponds with the time of maximum prey availability; usually between late March and June. Sharp-shinned hawks begin building their nests soon after they arrive at the breeding ground. Nests are built in trees, usually below the canopy (2.4 to 19 m above ground). The nests are made of twigs and are often lined with bark chips. Both the male and female gather nesting material, but the female does most of the building. Nest sites are re-used from year to year and old nests are refurbished or new nests are built on top of old ones. The birds are territorial during the breeding season and defend their nest site against intruders.
Sharp-shinned hawks normally have only one brood per year and lay 4 to 5 eggs per clutch on average (range 3 to 8). Females usually lay eggs on alternate days. Eggs are white or bluish with dark spots, approximately 37 by 30 mm and weigh about 9 g (approximately 11 percent of the female’s body mass). Incubation lasts 21 to 35 days, and the eggs hatch within one to two days of each other. Females do most of the incubating, but males will bring food to females while they are on the nest. After hatching, the altricial chicks are brooded by the female for 16 to 23 days. The nestlings fledge after 21 to 32 days. Males usually fledge sooner than females. Young continue to receive parental care for about 3.5 weeks after fledging. Most sharp-shinned hawks begin to breed when they are two years old.
Breeding interval: Sharp-shinned hawks usually have only one brood per year
Breeding season: Late March to June
Range eggs per season: 3 to 8.
Average eggs per season: 4.5.
Range time to hatching: 21 to 35 days.
Range fledging age: 21 to 32 days.
Average time to independence: 3.5 weeks.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous
Average eggs per season: 4.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 365 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 365 days.
Female sharp-shinned hawks do most of the incubating, but males bring food to females while they are on the nest. After hatching, the altricial chicks are brooded by the female for 16 to 23 days. While the chicks are in the nest, the male brings food to the female who plucks it and feeds the chicks. Females also defend the nest against predators. The nestlings fledge after 21 to 32 days. Young continue to receive parental care for about 3.5 weeks after fledging.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; altricial ; pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female)
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is often confused with its slightly larger relative, the Cooper’s Hawk. Both species are blue-gray above and streaked rusty-red below with long tails, yellow legs, and small, hooked beaks. However, the Sharp-shinned Hawk has a squared-off tail (Cooper’s Hawks have rounded tails), and is slightly smaller at 10-14 inches long. The Sharp-shinned Hawk displays the greatest difference in size between males and females (called sexual dimorphism) of any raptor in North America, with females weighing almost twice as much as males. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is also a more local breeder than the Cooper’s Hawk. While that species breeds across the United States and southern Canada, the Sharp-shinned Hawk’s main breeding range is restricted to the Canadian sub-arctic and higher elevation areas of the Appalachians and Rockies. This species migrates south in winter, when it may be found more widely across the U.S. In its range, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is among the most adaptable raptors. While usually found in forest habitats, this species has expanded into human-altered landscapes and now frequents towns and suburbs as well. The Sharp-shinned Hawk, like all ‘bird hawks,’ is capable of hunting birds (on the ground, in trees, or in flight) from the air. This species frequently enters yards to take small songbirds from feeders. With the aid of binoculars, Sharp-shinned Hawks may be seen perched in trees while scanning for prey. However, they are often more easily seen in the air while moving between perches or while actively hunting. As this species hunts by sight, it is only active during the day.
One study in Puerto Rico suggests that courtship behavior of the Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is displayed shortly after sunrise and may continue into the morning (Delannoy and Cruz, 1988). Typically, courtship flights are initiated when the male circles above the nesting site, which causes the female to follow him. Then, the individuals soar together in rapid flights with intermittent calling. The male flaps frequently and circles higher than the female. The hawks reach heights of 20 to 200 meters until they finalize with a deep dive into the forest. The swooping of courtship can range from 3 to 20 minutes and is followed by feeding, mating, or nest building (Delannoy and Cruz, 1988). In regard to parenting behavior, both sexes prepare the nest about 3 to 4 weeks before laying eggs. Materials are gathered from the ground or nearby trees and the nests themselves are constructedin trees. Once the nest is made, females stop hunting and stay near the nest while males provide food. Parental roles such as incubation time in females and food searching in males are similar in both tropical and temperate habitats (Delannoy and Cruz, 1988).
Territory behavior is important for Sharp-shinned Hawks due to mating and selection concerns. Territorial disputes usually occur after sunrise and may last until morning. During territorial display fights, resident males initiate territorial behavior from a perch or from the air. Once intruder males enter the air space, resident males fly towards intruders and chase after them. All individuals call repeatedly; in some occasions, males may grapple talons and spin laterally a few meters from the canopy before breaking free. Occasionally individuals may land on the ground, talons interlocked before separating. Territorial conflicts may last for a couple months before the intruder is completely evicted. In a study regarding tropical Sharp-shinned Hawks, all recorded territorial conflicts (n = 20) ended with residents defending their territory until all intruders were expelled (Delannoy and Cruz, 1988).
In regard to female and male fledgling behavior, growth rate differences were significant in Puerto Rico’s Sharp-shinned Hawk. In fact, males are described as “behaviorally advanced and feather sooner than females” (Delannoyand Cruz, 1988). In addition, males left the nest earlier and developed flight skills sooner than females.
The timing of breeding and nesting of Sharp-shinned Hawks is dependent on conditions of their temperate or tropicalenvironment.. For example, the breeding cycle in the Maricao forest of Puerto Rico is two months longer than Utah and Oregon. This lapse is longer in Puerto Rico because Sharp-shinned Hawks occupy breeding grounds earlier than temperate zone hawks. In fact, tropical hawks are year-long residents and reoccupy their nesting site in December and January.
In regard to eggs of tropical hawks, the average egg mass is 18.5 grams, which is 10.8% of the female’s body weight. In other words, an entire clutch of three eggs is 32% of the female’s body mass. It is assumed that tropical Sharp-shinned Hawks may have smaller egg abundance than temperate zones because they lay eggs during the dry season, from March to July, which spans 38 days (Delannoy & Cruz, 1988). Since food sources are low in dry conditions, females limit the number of eggs they produce based on their food intake, body weight, and environmental conditions. Although the dry season provides a low abundance of food, the wet season may not be preferred because foraging during heavy rainfall requires high metabolic energy and may result in mortality.
In temperate zones in Utah and Oregon, females take advantage of the wet season to lay eggs, perhaps because of higher food abundance, which results in higher egg counts. Specifically, the average egg mass is 19 grams, which is 11% of the female’s body weight (Delannoy & Cruz, 1988). In contrast to an average of three eggs per clutch for tropical hawks, temperate female hawks normally have 5 eggs per clutch, which totals 53% of the female’s body mass. Despite these differences, incubation, nestling and fledgling states(including survival rates)are the same in both tropical and temperate habitats. In fact, Puerto Rico’s population of Sharp-shinned Hawks is not in decline despite low reproductive success when compared to temperate hawks. This may be because re-occupancy rates of nests are higher in tropical zones (Delannoy & Cruz, 1988).
Since Sharp-shinned Hawks are small, forest-dwelling raptors, their diet consists primarily of small birds. A case study performed in Colorado (Joy et al. 1994) determined the diets of nesting pairs in habitats like coniferous, aspen, and mixed coniferous-aspen forests. This study found 53 species of prey that were caught by 11 nesting pairs, the majority (91.1%) of which were birds. (Joy et al, 1994). Bird species of prey included: Yellow-rumped warblers (Dendroica coronata), American Robins (Turdus migratorius), White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), and Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) composed the majority of avian prey. In addition, voles (Clethrionomys, Microtus, and Phenacomys spp.) made up the majority (60%) of mammal prey (Joy et al, 1994).
The size difference between the sexes in Sharp-shinned Hawks influences the size of prey they can catch. Nestlings feed first on small prey caught mainly by their father, switching as they grow to larger prey brought to them by their mother. Before delivering prey to their mates or young, male Sharp-shinned Hawks typically remove and eat the head of their prey(Mueller & Berger, 1970).
While Sharp-shinned Hawks mainly prey on birds, Downing and Baldwin (1961) documented the predation of a Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis). The recording of this predation occurred at Point Pelee off the shores of Lake Erie in 1960 (Downing & Baldwin, 1961). During an extensive feeding from dawn until 10 a.m., ten birds and one Red Bat were killed and deposited in mist-nests by captured hawks. The skin study of the prey showed that the hawks pierced the back of the bat’s body, severing a rib and causing extensive hemorrhages in the chest cavity (Downing & Baldwin, 1961). The other injury was a single claw perforation on one wing. Thus, it can be determined that predatory behavior of Sharp-shinned Hawks is to strike and then hold small birds while in flight. The attack on the Red Bat showed the same signs of predation. Despite this occurrence of a bat as prey, there are not enough case studies or long-term monitoring plans to support the conclusion that bats are a common prey species of Sharp-shinned Hawks.
Whether or not a Sharp-shinned Hawk will migrate depends on the climate and prey availability of its breeding habitat.Resident Sharp-shinned Hawk populations live year-round in temperate parts of the United States, coastal regions of Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Sharp-shinned Hawk populations in the northern part of their North American range migrate south and spend the winter (non-breeding season) in the southern United States, Mexico and Central America. They may travel as far south as Panama, with a smaller number spending the winter in the Greater Antilles (Bull & Farrand, 1977). They begin to drift southward during the second half of August, with the heaviest migration occurring in September (Bent, 1937). In Maryland, the spring migration occurs from February 25 to March 5, with peak migration activity occurring from April 5 to May 5 (Stewart & Robbins, 1958).In Oregon, Sharp-shinned Hawks arrive in their nesting grounds in late April (Reynolds, 1983).
Sharp-shinned Hawks show different migration timing throughout North America. While there is considerable overlap in migration times, females usually migrate earlier than males while juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks tend to migrate earlier than all adults (Mueller & Berger, 1967). It has been speculated that because immature Sharp-shinned Hawks are relatively inexperienced hunters, they are first to migrate in the fall because they are the first to be affected by the departure of prey birds. This pattern is reversed in the spring when the Sharp-shinned Hawks return to their breeding grounds. Because immature birds have become more experienced hunters over the winter, the earlier departure of mature birds would suggest that the initiation of spring migration is related to hormone levels instead of prey availability (Devereux et al, 1985). Mueller and Berger (1967) also found evidence suggesting that Sharp-shinned Hawks choose to migrate when conditions are conducive for the formation of upward climbing air currents.
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is often confused with its slightly larger relative, the Cooper’s Hawk. Both species are blue-gray above and streaked rusty-red below with long tails, yellow legs, and small, hooked beaks. However, the Sharp-shinned Hawk has a squared-off tail (Cooper’s Hawks have rounded tails), and is slightly smaller at 10-14 inches long. The Sharp-shinned Hawk displays the greatest difference in size between males and females (called sexual dimorphism) of any raptor in North America, with females weighing almost twice as much as males. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is also a more local breeder than the Cooper’s Hawk. While that species breeds across the United States and southern Canada, the Sharp-shinned Hawk’s main breeding range is restricted to the Canadian sub-arctic and higher elevation areas of the Appalachians and Rockies. This species migrates south in winter, when it may be found more widely across the U.S. In its range, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is among the most adaptable raptors. While usually found in forest habitats, this species has expanded into human-altered landscapes and now frequents towns and suburbs as well. The Sharp-shinned Hawk, like all ‘bird hawks,’ is capable of hunting birds (on the ground, in trees, or in flight) from the air. This species frequently enters yards to take small songbirds from feeders. With the aid of binoculars, Sharp-shinned Hawks may be seen perched in trees while scanning for prey. However, they are often more easily seen in the air while moving between perches or while actively hunting. As this species hunts by sight, it is only active during the day.
The sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus), commonly known as a 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 (A. chionogaster), plain-breasted hawk (A. ventralis), and rufous-thighed hawk (A. erythronemius). The American Ornithological Society keeps all four variations conspecific.
The sharp-shinned hawk is sometimes separated into four species, with the northern group (see distribution) retaining both the scientific name and the common name: sharp-shinned hawk (A. striatus). In addition to the nominate taxon (A. s. striatus), it includes subspecies perobscurus, velox, suttoni, madrensis, fringilloides, and venator. The three remaining taxa, each considered a monotypic species if split, are the white-breasted hawk (A. chionogaster; Kaup, 1852), plain-breasted hawk (A. ventralis; Sclater, 1866) and rufous-thighed hawk (A. erythronemius; Kaup, 1850). The breeding ranges of the groups are entirely allopatric, although the wintering range of the nominate group partially overlaps with the range of chionogaster (as is also the case with certain taxa within the nominate group). This allopatry combined with differences in plumage (see appearance) and, apparently, certain measurements, has been the background for the split, but hard scientific data are presently lacking (AOU). Disregarding field guides, most material published in recent years (e.g. AOU, Ferguson-Lees et al. p. 586, and Dickinson et al.) has therefore considered all to be members of a single widespread species – but not without equivocation: Ferguson-Lees et al. say that if they were to make a world list, they would include the three taxa as separate species (p. 75), and the AOU's comment includes the note "split almost certainly good".
Storer (1952) suggested that the southernmost populations within the nominate group were paler below, thus approaching chionogaster. This has also been reflected in recent guides, where A. s. madrensis of southern Mexico is described as being relatively pale below (compared to more northern subspecies), but if this is a sign of intergradation with chionogaster or a north-south cline which includes both the members of the nominate group and chionogaster remains unclear. In Bolivia, ventralis and erythronemius approach each other, but no evidence of intergradation is known – something that, without actual specimens, also would be hard to prove due to the variability in the plumage of ventralis.
This is a small Accipiter hawk, with males 23 to 30 cm (9.1 to 11.8 in) long, with a wingspan of 42 to 58 cm (17 to 23 in) and weight from 82–115 g (2.9–4.1 oz). As common in Accipiter hawks, females are distinctly larger in size, averaging some 30% longer, and with a weight advantage of more than 50% being common. The female measures 29 to 37 cm (11 to 15 in) in length, has a wingspan of 58 to 68 cm (23 to 27 in) and weighs 150 to 219 g (5.3 to 7.7 oz). The wings measure 14.1–22.9 cm (5.6–9.0 in) each, the tail is 12–19 cm (4.7–7.5 in) long and the tarsus is 4.5–5.9 cm (1.8–2.3 in). Measurements given here are for the northern group, but they are comparable for the remaining subspecies.[2] Adults have short broad wings and a medium-length tail banded in blackish and gray with the tip varying among individuals from slightly notched through square to slightly rounded (often narrowly tipped white). The remiges (typically only visible in flight) are whitish barred blackish. The legs are long and very slender (hence the common name) and yellow. The hooked bill is black and the cere is yellowish. The remaining plumage varies depending on group:
This species is widespread in North America, Central America, South America and the Greater Antilles. Below, the distributions of the four groups (see taxonomy) are described as they occur roughly from north to south:
It occurs in a wide range of woodland and forest types, both dominated by conifers and by various types of broad-leaved trees (especially oaks) The largest populations of the nominate group (see taxonomy) are thought to occur in the temperate boreal forests, but winter in warmer regions farther south (see distribution). The taxa suttoni, madrensis (both from the nominate group), chionogaster (white-breasted hawk) and ventralis (plain-breasted hawk), are found in upper tropical to temperate highlands; mainly at altitudes of 300–3,000 m (980–9,840 ft), but occasionally down to near sea-level and up to 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The taxon erythronemius (rufous-thighed hawk) is found in tropical and subtropical regions; both in lowlands and highlands.
These birds surprise and capture most of their prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation. They are adept at navigating dense thickets, although this hunting method is often hazardous to the hawk. The great majority of this hawk's prey are small birds, especially various songbirds such as sparrows, wood-warblers, finches, wrens, nuthatches, tits, icterids and thrushes. Birds caught range in size from a 4.4 g (0.16 oz) Anna's hummingbird to a 577 g (1.272 lb) ruffed grouse and virtually any bird within this size range is potential prey. Typically, males will target smaller birds, such as sparrows and wood-warblers, and females will pursue larger prey, such as American robins and flickers, leading to a lack of conflict between the sexes for prey. These hawks often exploit backyard bird feeders in order to target congregations of ideal prey. They often pluck the feathers off their prey on a post or other perch. Rarely, sharp-shinned hawks will also eat rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes, and large insects, the latter typically being dragonflies captured on the wing during the hawk's migration. Bats have occasionally been recorded as a prey of this hawk.[3]
Sharp-shinned hawks construct a stick nest in a large conifer or dense group of deciduous trees. Clutches of 3 to 8 eggs have been recorded, but 4 to 5 eggs is the typical clutch size. The eggs measure 37.6 mm × 30 mm (1.48 in × 1.18 in) and weigh about 19 g (0.67 oz). The eggs are prized by egg-collectors, because they are heavily marked with surprisingly colorful and varied markings. The incubation period is thought to average at about 30 days. After hatching, the young are brooded for 16 to 23 days by the female, while the male defends the territory and catches prey. The young fledge at the age of about a month and rely on their parents for feeding and protection another four weeks. The nesting sites and breeding behavior of sharp-shinned hawks are generally secretive, in order to avoid the predation of larger raptors, such as the northern goshawk and the Cooper's hawk. While in migration, adults are sometimes preyed on by most of the bird-hunting, larger raptors, especially the peregrine falcon. The breeding behavior of the taxa chionogaster (white-breasted hawk), ventralis (plain-breasted hawk) and erythronemius (rufous-thighed hawk) are comparably poorly known, but based on the available knowledge they appear to differ little from that of the nominate group
In North America this species declined in numbers in the 1960s and 1970s, probably as a result of the use of DDT and other pesticides. The population of USA and Canada has rebounded since and might even exceed historical numbers today, probably due to the combination of the ban on DDT and the proliferation of backyard bird feeders in North America which create unnaturally reliable and easy prey sources. Migratory sharp-shinned hawks are one of the most numerous raptors recorded at "hawk watches" across the country. An exception is the subspecies from Puerto Rico, Accipiter striatus venator, which is rare and listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The remaining resident subspecies from the Greater Antilles, fringilliodes from Cuba and nominate (A. s. striatus) from Hispaniola, are uncommon, local, and, at least in the case of the latter, decreasing. Both ventralis (plain-breasted hawk) and erythronemius (rufous-thighed hawk) are fairly common (but easily overlooked due to their secretive behavior) and presently considered safe. The situation for chionogaster (white-breasted hawk) is potentially more problematic due to its limited range, although it, at least locally, remains fairly common.
The sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus), commonly known as a 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 (A. chionogaster), plain-breasted hawk (A. ventralis), and rufous-thighed hawk (A. erythronemius). The American Ornithological Society keeps all four variations conspecific.
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