Birds of Prey
Sharp-shinned hawk
The
sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) is distinguished from the goshawk by its rusty,
barred breast markings and much smaller size (25-35 cm tall).
This hawk has long, slender toes and talons, indicating a diet of
predominantly small woodland birds supplemented with small rodents.
Sharp-shinned
hawks prefer to build their nests in conifers.
Unlike the goshawk, a new stick platform nest is constructed each year.
The female lays four to five eggs in late May. The young birds grow
rapidly and fledge approximately 23 days after hatching.
As
fall approaches, the immature hawks begin the long migration to the wintering
grounds in and south of Mexico. The
adults follow and, like other raptors, migrate predominantly during daylight
hours.
The
sharp-shinned hawk is uncommon. Pesticides
were responsible for widespread decline of this species between the 1960's and
the early 80's. Although this
species has not been studied in the NWT, it has likely returned to its former
levels of abundance.
|
