Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusAccipiter (True Accipiters)
- SpeciesAccipiter striatus (Sharp-shinned Hawk)
About the Sharp-shinned Hawk
The sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) or northern sharp-shinned hawk, colloquially often nicknamed sharpie, is a small hawk, with males being the smallest hawks in the United States and Canada, but with the species averaging larger than some Neotropical species, such as the tiny hawk. The taxonomy is far from resolved, with some authorities considering the southern taxa to represent three separate species, white-breasted hawk (A. chionogaster), plain-breasted hawk (A. ventralis), and rufous-thighed hawk (A. erythronemius). The American Ornithological Society and some other checklists keep all four species conspecific. A recent genetic study additionally recommended splitting the three Caribbean island populations as three additional separate species, though this has not yet been adopted by any of the ornithological authorities.
The sharp-shinned hawk is sometimes separated into four species, with the northern group (see distribution) retaining both the scientific name and the common name sharp-shinned hawk (A. striatus). In addition to the nominate taxon A. s. striatus on Hispaniola, it includes the subspecies A. s. perobscurus on Haida Gwaii, A. s. velox in most... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Sharp-shinned Hawk in Iguazú National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Iguazú National Park
Tiny Hawk
Accipiter superciliosus
Gray-bellied Hawk
Accipiter poliogaster
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Plumbeous Kite
Ictinia plumbea
Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus melanoleucus
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Black-collared Hawk
Busarellus nigricollis
Rufous-thighed Kite
Harpagus diodon
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Great Black-Hawk
Buteogallus urubitinga
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Iguazú National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-shinned Hawk sighting in Iguazú National Park, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sharp-shinned Hawk in Iguazú National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Sharp-shinned Hawk in Iguazú National Park in our monthly data.