Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Also known as: Bird Hawk, Bullet Hawk, Little Blue Darter, Sharpie
About This Species
This small, agile hawk hunts by ambush, threading through dense forest and forest edge at speed to surprise songbirds, and is a frequent, unwelcome visitor to backyard feeders where it takes advantage of concentrated prey. Look for a compact raptor with short rounded wings and a long tail built for tight turns, most often glimpsed as a fast shape flashing past rather than a soaring silhouette. Fall migration at established hawk-watch sites offers the most reliable and prolonged views, while breeding birds favour dense conifer stands.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Watch feeder visits and hunting flights from indoors or at a distance rather than approaching, since this is a wild predator that should not be handled or cornered.
- It is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States and equivalent law in Canada, and nest sites in dense conifer stands should not be approached during the breeding season.
- If it takes a feeder bird, the most helpful response is simply to observe rather than intervene.
Seasonal Activity
1,676,818 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
Photo
(c) Steven McGrath, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Steven McGrath
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.