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//**__All About the Sharp Shinned Hawk__**// **//by Troy Gibbs Brown//**


 * //When I was six years old, my father and his friend took me to a park to play. What we did not anticipate was seeing a real live hawk hunt! Now, I'm not sure what type of hawk this was but it was both exciting and amazing to witness. The hawk was hunting a young squirrel who was trying so hard to get to his home tree. The only two trees the squirrel could run between did not have the cover it needed, however, they were close enough to each other that they provided the squirrel with options. So while on the tree, the squirrel would flatten its body as if it was trying to camoflauge itself from the hawk. While sitting on a branch above, the hawk seemed like it was looking everywhere else but at the squirrel. But when that squirrel would chance running across the grass towards another tree, the hawk would swoop in for the catch. The squirrels' only option was to stay attached to the tree and try to wait out the hawk. A crowd had gathered and began watching, as we were. These two, hunter and prey, were locked in a game of patience. Patience that outlasted most of the people watching. It began to get dark and neither animal had changed their position. The hawk sat in a branch, perched across from the tree that the squirrel was attached to. We had to leave because it had gotten too dark to see. This experience had me asking plenty of questions about raptors and hawks. So, to have the opportunity to see and learn about them is very exciting. Enjoy learning about the Sharp Shinned Hawk, as I did! //**



__Characteristics/Geography__
Sharp-shinned Hawks are small hawks, about 10 to 14 inches, with blue-gray upperparts and rufous bars on white underparts. Their eyes are dark red and wings are short and rounded. Tail is long and squared with heavy bars. Their legs and feet are yellow and flight consists of rapid wing beats followed by a short glide. They often soar on thermals of air current. They are found in the U.S and as far north as Canada, not all migrate but winters are spent ranging from northern U.S to Argentina.
 * ** Sharp-shinned Hawk Christmas Bird Count Map ** ||
 * [[image:sharpshinnedhawk/SSHawkCBCMapUsgs.gif width="392" height="256" caption="Map of Migration(Winter)"]] ||
 * [[image:sharpshinnedhawk/SSHawkCBCMapUsgs.gif width="392" height="256" caption="Map of Migration(Winter)"]] ||



__Size and Prey Menu__
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a regular visitor to bird feeders, where it eats birds, not seeds. The male and female show a greater disparity in size than any other American hawk; the female is nearly twice the weight of the male Sharp shinned hawks live in deciduous, coniferous, or mixed forests, with alot of trees and branches. Also included in their diet are occasional mice, shrews, bats, and large insects. They are well adapted to catching their prey by manuevering effortlessly through their environment. They make a high-pitched "kik, kik, kik" sound.

Believe it or not, sharp-shinned hawks can get very dangerous doing whatever it takes to get some food. They use their sharp talons and beak with precision when hunting. This video shows a Sharp Shinned Hawk hunting a Robin.

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__Breeding__
The Sharp Shinned Hawk is a solitary nester who mates with only one mate for life. The eggs are white to light blue with brown markings and the mother incubates them. The incubation period ranges from 34 to 35 days. The nest is made up of strips of bark, grass, twigs, and coniferous needles. = = = = =__My Resources:__=

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