• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Birds (Class Aves)

CLASS AVES

Sharp-shinned Hawk

The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is a small, acrobatic hawk known for its long tail and short, rounded wings, which it uses to hunt songbirds in dense woodlands. Adults are blue-gray above and have rusty-red barring on their underparts, while juveniles have brown upperparts and reddish-brown streaks on creamy underparts. They are agile fliers that use a flap-and-glide style, often speeding through dense woods to ambush prey. They are active hunters during the day and are sometimes seen perching and scanning for prey or pouncing from low vantage points.