Bird Gallery Index

Sharp-shinned Hawk image © Greg Lavaty.

Family: (Accipitridae) Hawks and Allies

Preferred Habitat: Woodlands.

Seasonal Occurrence: Relatively common spring through fall.

Notes: Sharp-shinned Hawks are the most common accipiter on the Upper Texas Coast. They are generally woodland birds but often take up residence in yards with feeders, which provide a ready food source. Adult "Sharpies" have slate-blue upperparts and cream-colored chests marked with rusty horizontal stripes. Juveniles have brown upperparts with streaky brown and cream breasts. Sharp-shinned Hawks are very similar in appearance to Cooper's Hawks and are difficult to tell apart. In comparison with Cooper's Hawks, the heads of Sharp-shinned Hawks seem much smaller in proportion to their bodies. Migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks are best viewed in the fall at the Smith Point Hawk Watch.
- Susan Billetdeaux

Sharp-shinned Hawk image © Joseph Kennedy. Image taken at Smith Point Hawk Watch.