Backyard Birds: Sharp-shinned hawk

The mother sharp-shinned hawk feeding on a small bird.
The small bird's claws are dangling beneath the sharp-shinned hawk's talons. 

Text and photos by Frank Kleyn

This summer, we have enjoyed watching sharp-shinned hawk fledglings being raised by their mother in our backyard cedar tree in Shoreline. The fledglings are now learning how to fly short distances between the trees in the greenbelt behind our house.

 
With feathers that provide excellent camouflage in northwest conifers, sharp-shinned hawks are swift predators that swoop out of trees to quickly snatch a songbird. Usually, sharp-shinned hawks migrate with seasonal changes, but in the northwest, some sharp-shinned hawks are year-long residents.

For more information see previous article