The sharp-shinned hawk or northern sharp-shinned hawk, commonly known as a 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, plain-breasted hawk, and rufous-thighed hawk. The American Ornithological Society and some other checklists keeps all four variations conspecific.
Sharp-shinned hawk
With a chick (nominate group)
A juvenile sharp-shinned hawk in Parrish, Florida.
Immature (nominate group)
Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This subfamily are mainly woodland birds with short broad wings, long tails, and high visual acuity. They hunt by dashing suddenly from a concealed perch.
In America, members of the Buteo group are also called hawks; this group is called buzzards in other parts of the world. Generally, buteos have broad wings and sturdy builds. They are relatively larger-winged and shorter-tailed than accipiters, and fly further distances in open areas. Buteos descend or pounce on their prey rather than hunting in a fast horizontal pursuit....
Hawk
Sharp-shinned hawk, a small member of the Accipitrinae subfamily
A Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), a member of the Buteo group
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb holding a hawk in his darbar