Sharp Shinned Hawk Research Paper

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Species Account Sharp-Shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Adam M. House Due: June 15, 2015 Dr. Yunger Of the North American Accipiters, the Sharp-Shinned Hawk is the smallest. This does not indicate a lack of predatory instinct. Sharp-Shinned Hawks, or Sharpies, are one of, if not the most stealthiest of raptor. The text contained within highlights not only the stealthiness of this raptor, but also its breeding, feeding, migration, conservation, habitat, and overall behavior. Sharpies are about the size of a blue-jay and inhabit the forest regions all over the North American continent. Although small, the males generally are about a third smaller than females. They are only seen during migration periods due to their favorability of dense forests. However, when they are migrating, they are one of the most common sightings along coastline and even inland birding sights. They also tend to find backyard bird feeders and feed on the songbirds. Due to this occurrence, many people find Sharpies as a nuisance and annoyance. …show more content…

“Adults have blue-gray upper parts and white underparts with rufous barring. They also have whitish throats, an alternately dark- and light-gray banded tail, and orange or red eyes” (hawkmountain.org). They are a challenge for birders to identify due to their resemblance to Cooper’s Hawks. However, they do show signs of a crisper and more rapid flight pattern and Cooper’s Hawks are bigger and more

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