Sharp-shinned Hawk

Identification Tips:

• Length:10.5 inches Wingspan: 21 inches
• Sexes similar, but females much larger
• Small, broad-winged, long-tailed hawk
• Short, dark, hooked beak
• Long, narrow tarsi
• Short, rounded wings
• Long tail is squared-off at tip with prominent corners
• Typically flies with several quick snappy wingbeats and a short glide, but also soars
• Small rounded head does not project far beyond wings when soaring

Adult male: Red eye Black cap Blue-gray back and upperwings White breast, belly and underwing coverts marked by fine, thin, reddish bars Tail, blue gray above and pale below, barred with black bands Flight feathers, blue-gray above and pale below, with dark bars
Immature: Yellow eye Brown head with indistinct pale supercilium Brown cap, nape, back, and upperwings Tail, brown above and pale below, barred with black bands White underparts streaked extensively with dark brown, almost to the undertail	Range: Canada to Gulf of Mexico rivers, lakes and coastal areas migration route through Mississippi valley

Migration Status: Short distance migrant	Breeding Habitat: woodland
Clutch Size: 4-5	Length of Incubation: 32-35 days
Days to Fledge: 24-27	Number of Broods: 1
Diet: birds small mammals