Sharp-shinned Hawk

The Sharp-shinned hawk is small but mighty! Boy, do they cause a ruckus in our garden.

Latin name: Accipiter striatus

Length, wingspan: 11″, 23″

What they eat: Carnivorous (primarily small birds)

Plants that attract: Wooded areas, bird activity at bird-feeding stations

Where they nest: Forests, conifers

My observations: Sharp-shinned hawks are the smallest of the three Accipiters. Cooper’s hawks are the mid-sized model while Northern Goshawks are the largest. These small raptors fly around and through trees with the greatest of ease. They rely on their ability to surprise and catch small birds. Our bird feeders and densely-planted landscape attracts a lot of songbirds. Because of this, it has caught the attention of these hawks as a great place to find lunch. It’s upsetting to discover one of your favorite birds has become a meal, but it’s how nature works. It’s a balance and all birds, great and small, are vital to the ecosystem. These hawks are winter visitors to our garden. We continually marvel at how beautifully they blend in with their surroundings. They nest in the mountains.

Here’s a video of a Sharp-shinned hawk sitting in one of our crabapple trees:

For more details about this bird, go to Cornell’s All About Birds website.

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