Sharpies (Sharp-shinned Hawk)

Sharpie (Sharp-shinned) Hawk

In early March, with snow on the ground, I happened to catch this Sharpie sitting in our backyard. I watched it for a while, taking some photos through the window, so as not to alarm him. Finally, he began moving around, always with an eye on his surroundings. And then he began to feed on whatever he had managed to catch on that cold morning. I shot a series of photos, and then decided to put them together to give a slight impression of his behavior.

The Sharpie or Sharp-shinned Hawk is classed as one of three North American accipiter hawks, the other two species being the Cooper's Hawk and the Northern Goshawk. Like the other accipiter species, the Sharpie nests and feeds in wooded areas, has a long tail and wings that are shorter than hawks that glide the thermals of the open country. Sharpies can maneuver well in and among trees as they hunt their prey. They attack with great speed, and are known to haunt backyard bird feeders. They feed mostly on smaller birds, with an occasional small mammal or insect.

While the Sharp-shinned hawk nests mostly in the far northern US and through Canada and Alaska, they will migrate all the way down into Mexico, following their preferred prey. Small hawks, a Sharpie may be mistaken for any number of other birds, until it goes into action. But if you get a good look at it, the Sharpie is fairly easy to identify. Large brown eyes, white spots on the back, rounded tail, horizontal markings across the adult's chest, and skinny legs help to distinguish the Sharpie from Cooper's hawks and others.