The Sharp-shinned Hawk is named for the raised ridge that runs along the inside front of its long legs. With its rounded wings and long, narrow tail, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is an agile flier. It can make quick turns and dips as it chases its prey through the woods. When a bird or small animal is caught, this hawk takes it to a preferred site, such as a fence post, tree stump or fallen tree that is known as a "plucking post." There the creature's feathers or fur is pulled off before it is eaten. These "posts" are often located near the hawk's nest.

Length: 26.2 - 27.9 cm Physical characteristics: This is a small hawk, with a long, squared-off tail. The sexes are marked similarly, but the female is larger. The cap is black, and the back and upperwings are blue-gray. The underparts are white, but the breast and belly are marked with red-brown bars. The tail and flight feathers are blue-gray with bold, dark stripes. Voice: Call is a series of kew, kew, kews, usually given at the nest.

Breeding habitat:
The Sharp-shinned Hawk prefers coniferous or mixed coniferous-deciduous forests for nesting. It is often found near forest openings and edges, and near a water source, such as a river, lake or stream.

Mating system:
Monogamous; usually one brood is produced, although a second may be attempted if the first fails.

Nest:
A broad and flat platform is built of sticks and twigs, and lined with grass, coniferous needles and fine twigs. The female builds the nest with some assistance from the male. The nest is located near the trunk of a tree from 3 - 18 meters (10 - 60 feet) from the ground.

Eggs:
A clutch may contain 3 - 8 eggs (with 4 - 5 most common). The eggs are white to bluish-white and may be heavily streaked and splotched with browns. 38mm (1.5'').

Chick development:
Incubation is carried out by the female and continues for 32 - 35 days. The smaller male will sit on the nest edge when the female leaves the nest to eat the food he brings. The chicks are semialtricial at hatching. Both parents feed the nestlings, although the male does almost all the hunting in the early stages. The young fledge after 24 ? 27 days in the nest. The parents continue to care for their young 3 - 4 weeks after fledging.

Diet:
Most of the prey taken by this raptor are birds, ranging in size from the sparrows to the American Robin (the smaller male takes smaller prey). The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a powerful flyer, and can fly swiftly through dense vegetation. It takes its prey on the wing, on the ground, or from trees and bushes. It is often seen hunting near bird feeders.

Conservation:
This species has previously suffered severe declines, mostly due to reproductive failures caused by high concentrations of pesticides in the hawk's system. Its numbers are recovering, but it is still of concern in some areas.

Distribution:
Breeding: The Sharp-shinned Hawk is found throughout most of Canada and the northernmost United States. Its range also dips south into the western states and into the Appalachian Mountains in the East. Click on the map on the left to see the breeding range as determined by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS).
Winter: This accipiter winters in the central and southern United States, and south through Central America to central Panama and the Antilles. Click on the map on the left to see the winter range as determined by the Christmas Bird Count (CBC).

In Park:
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a year-round resident bird species in the Park. This hawk is uncommon in the park, but is believed to breed in the park. A survey of breeding birds in the park, performed from 1996-1999, detected only a single Sharp-shinned Hawk during the breeding season.

References:

Alsop, F. J. III. 1991. Birds Of The Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains History Association, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Bent, A. C. and Collaborators. 1996 - 2002. Sharp-shinned Hawk, In Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds, ed., Patricia Query Newforth.

Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union. 2000. Forty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 117: 847-858.

Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union. 2002. Forty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 119: 897-906.

Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder's Handbook: a Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc., New York.

Elphick, C., J. B. Dunning, Jr., and D. A. Sibley, eds. 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Gough, G. A., Sauer, J. R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/infocenter.html.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Stupka, A. 1963. Notes on the Birds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. University of Tennessee Press.