Breeding Location:
Forests, coniferous, Open landscapes, Grassland with scattered trees
Breeding Type:
Monogamous, Solitary nester
Breeding Population:
Common to fairly common
Egg Color:
White to light blue with brown markings
Number of Eggs:
4 - 5
Incubation Days:
32 - 35
Egg Incubator:
Female
Nest Material:
Lined with strips of bark, grass, and coniferous needles.
Migration:
Some migrate
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Overview
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Small hawk with blue-gray upperparts and rufous bars on white underparts. Eyes are dark red. Wings are short and rounded. Tail is long and squared with heavy bars. Legs and feet are yellow. Flight consists of rapid wing beats followed by a short glide. Often soars on thermals.
Range and Habitat
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Breeds throughout the U.S. as far north as Canada. Spends winters from northern U.S. to Argentina. Found in deciduous, coniferous, or mixed forests.
Breeding and Nesting
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Four to five brown marked, white to light blue eggs are laid in a large nest built of twigs and built on a low branch in a conifer or deciduous tree. Incubation is carried out by both parents and ranges from 34 to 35 days.
Foraging and Feeding
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Diet consists of mostly small birds, but includes small mammals, lizards, and insects; female takes larger prey than male.
Readily Eats
Vocalization
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Makes a shrill, high-pitched "kik, kik, kik."
Similar Species
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Cooper's Hawk is larger and has a rounded tail.
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