Sharp-shinned Hawk Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesSharp-shinned Hawk
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.
© David McQuade / Macaulay LibraryIowa, February 18, 2019Adult (Northern)
Adult "Northern" Sharp-shinned Hawk has blue-gray upperparts and dark bands on the tail.
© Vickie Anderson / Macaulay LibraryWashington, October 01, 2017Immature (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.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryJanuary 27, 1998Not all videos have sound
Immature (Northern)
Small raptor with thin legs and small feet. Immature "Northern" Sharp-shinned Hawk is brown above with thick brown streaks below.
© Annie Lavoie / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, September 16, 2020Adult (Northern)
Small raptor with short, rounded wings, which are often pushed forward. Note the long square-tipped tail.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, October 16, 2017Distinctive 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.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, November 01, 1997Not all videos have sound
Immature (Northern)
Often flies with its wings pushed forward with quick and snappy wingbeats.
© Charmaine Anderson / Macaulay LibraryOntario, January 30, 2017Adult (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.
© Nigel Voaden / Macaulay LibraryOaxaca, March 28, 2015Adult/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.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, April 21, 2004Not all videos have sound
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.
© John van Dort / Macaulay LibraryFrancisco Morazán, September 30, 2017Immature (White-breasted)
Immature "White-breasted" Sharp-shinned Hawk has rusty streaks and spots on the underparts.
© Carlos Quezada / Macaulay LibrarySan Marcos, October 24, 2017Adult (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.
© Jhon James Merchan Angel / Macaulay LibraryQuindío, April 17, 2020Adult (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.
© Luis Rodriguez / Macaulay LibraryNariño, August 25, 2018Dark 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.
© Joachim Bertrands / Macaulay LibraryRisaralda, December 04, 2019Adult (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).
© Fernando Farias / Macaulay LibrarySanta Catarina, October 07, 2019Immature (Rufous-thighed)
Immature "Rufous-thighed" Sharp-shinned Hawk has brown upperparts and thick brown streaking below.
© Jayrson Oliveira / Macaulay LibraryGoiás, January 22, 2020Adult (Caribbean)
Adult "Caribbean" Sharp-shinned Hawk has cinnamon on the sides of the head, light barring on the breast, and a white belly.
© Michel Asselin / Macaulay LibraryGuantánamo, November 19, 2017Adult (Northern)
Eats primarily songbirds about the size of an American Robin and smaller.
© S. Andujar / Macaulay LibraryNew Hampshire, January 25, 2017Habitat
Found in forests and forest edge.
© Matthew Scharkopf / Macaulay LibraryNew York, February 28, 2017Similar SpeciesCooper's Hawk
Adult
Adult Cooper's Hawks are rather square-headed with a dark cap, whereas perched Sharp-shinned Hawks have a rounder head and no cap. The tail tends to look rounded on Cooper's and square on Sharp-shinned.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, February 11, 2017Similar SpeciesCooper's Hawk
Immature
Immature Cooper’s Hawks have neat brown streaks concentrated on the chest, whereas immature Sharp-shinned Hawks have broad, blurry streaks that go well down the belly. Cooper’s Hawks also have thicker legs and larger feet—this can be a great clue when looking at perched birds up close.
© Geoffrey Groom / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 21, 2015Similar SpeciesCooper's Hawk
Adult
In flight, the Cooper's Hawk's head extends farther past its wings than the head of a Sharp-shinned Hawk. The white band at the tail tip is wider on Cooper's Hawks than it is on Sharp-shinned.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, October 10, 2016Similar SpeciesMerlin
Adult male (Taiga)
Merlins are compact with shorter tails than Sharp-shinned Hawks. They have vertical streaking on the belly unlike the horizontal barring of adult Sharp-shined Hawks. Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks have yellow eyes whereas Merlins have dark eyes.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryNew York, February 05, 2017Similar SpeciesMerlin
Adult (Taiga)
The Merlin is similar in size, but it’s a falcon—it has pointed wings and a shorter tail than Sharp-shinned Hawk. Merlins are dark, streaky birds and they behave differently, flying powerfully and usually hunting out in the open.
© Joel Trick / Macaulay LibraryWisconsin, July 15, 2017Similar SpeciesMerlin
Female/immature (Taiga)
Merlins have pointer wings and a shorter tail than Sharp-shinned Hawks.
© Jonathan Eckerson / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 23, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites(Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae)
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