SHARP-SHINNED HAWK

The 'Sharp-shinned Hawk' (''Accipiter striatus'') is a small hawk. In fact "Sharpies" (as they are abbreviated by American birdwatchers), are the smallest to reside in North America.

Contents

Distribution and habitat

Appearance

Food and Hunting

Reproduction

Conservation

References

External links

Distribution and habitat

Their breeding habitat is varied forested areas across most of North America and parts of Central America. The largest numbers are thought to occur in the boreal forest. In some parts of the United States, they are permanent residents. Northern birds migrate to the southern U.S. and south to South America. While in migration, they still prefer forested areas or areas with dense shrubbery vegetation.

Appearance

Males are 24 to 28 cm (9.5 to 11 in) long, have a wingspan of 52 to 58 cm (20 to 23 in) and weigh from 87 to 114 g (3.1 to 4 oz). Females are rather larger at a length of 29 to 35 cm (11.5 to 13.8 in), a wingspan of 58 to 68 cm (23 to 27 in) and a weight of 150 to 218 g (5.3 to 7.7 oz). Adults have short broad wings and a long square-ended tail with dark bands. They have a dark cap, blue-grey upperparts and white underparts with red bars. Mature birds have dark red eyes and yellow legs. They are easily mistaken for the slightly larger and lankier Cooper's Hawk, which match the "Sharpies" in plumage. In flight, the Cooper's, with its longer wings and larger head, is sometimes compared to a "flying cross"; whereas the broader-winged and smaller-headed Sharp-shinned is described as a "flying mallet".

Food and Hunting

These birds surprise and capture all their prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation. They are adept at navigating dense thickets. The great majority of this hawk's prey is small birds, especially various songbirds such as sparrows, wood-warblers and American Robins. Birds caught have ranges in size from a 4.4 g-Anna's Hummingbird to a 577 g (1.2 lb)-Ruffed Grouse and any bird within this size range is potential prey. Typically, males will target smaller birds, such as sparrows, and females, will pursue larger prey, like robins and flickers. 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.

Reproduction

Sharp-shinned Hawks will construct a stick nest in a large conifer or dense group of deciduous trees. Clutches of 3 to 8 eggs have been recorded, but are usually 4 to 5 eggs. The eggs measure 37.6 x 30 mm (1.48 x 1.18 in) and weigh about weigh about 19 g. 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 food. The young fledge at about a month old and rely on their parents for feeding and protection another 4 weeks. The nesting sites and breeding behavior of Sharp-shinned Hawks are generally secretive, in order to avoid the predation of the larger ''Accipiter'' hawks, the Cooper's Hawk and the Goshawk. While in migration, adults are sometimes preyed on by most of the bird-hunting, larger raptors, especially the Peregrine Falcon.

Conservation

This bird declined in numbers in the 1960s and 1970s, probably as a result of the use of DDT and other pesticides. Their population rebounded since and might even exceed historical numbers today. This is probably due to the combination of the ban on DDT and the proliferation of backyard birdfeeders in North America which create unnaturally reliable and easy prey for all ''Accipiter''s. Migratory Sharp-shinned Hawks are one of the most numerous raptors recorded at "hawk watches" across the country.

References

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External links

★ Sharp-shinned Hawk - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

★ Sharp-shinned Hawk - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter

★ picture of Sharp-shinned Hawk (Juvenile male)in the hand

★ Sharp-shinned Hawk Wing & Weight data

★ Sharp-shinned Hawk Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding