Sharp-shinned Hawk

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-shinned Hawk sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 553 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 386 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sharp-shinned Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is San Diego the best place to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

30th of 50. Of the 50 cities where we can rate Sharp-shinned Hawk sightings, San Diego ranks 30th at under 5%. The best odds are in Salt Lake City (United States, about 10%), São Paulo (Brazil, about 10%) and Calgary (Canada, about 10%).

Q: Which relatives of the Sharp-shinned Hawk live in San Diego?

Same family: Accipitridae. The closest relatives of the Sharp-shinned Hawk that you can see in San Diego (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Red-tailed Hawk (about 30%) and Red-shouldered Hawk (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Sharp-shinned Hawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Sharp-shinned Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in San Diego (553 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Accipiter striatus

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusAccipiter (True Accipiters)
SpeciesAccipiter striatus (Sharp-shinned Hawk)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at San Diego

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

553 Verified sightings at San Diego

6,292 In all 70 parks From 2019 to 2026

February Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Sharp-shinned Hawk

The sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) or northern sharp-shinned hawk, colloquially often nicknamed 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 (A. chionogaster), plain-breasted hawk (A. ventralis), and rufous-thighed hawk (A. erythronemius). The American Ornithological Society and some other checklists keep all four species conspecific. A recent genetic study additionally recommended splitting the three Caribbean island populations as three additional separate species, though this has not yet been adopted by any of the ornithological authorities.

The sharp-shinned hawk is sometimes separated into four species, with the northern group (see distribution) retaining both the scientific name and the common name sharp-shinned hawk (A. striatus). Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:04

Brazil · 2022

Begging call0:29

United States · 2022

Call0:06

Brazil · 2016

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 2 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
2	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
3	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
4	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
5	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
6	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
7	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
8	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
9	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
11	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
12	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
13	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
14	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
15	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
16	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
17	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
18	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
20	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
21	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
22	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
23	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
24	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
25	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
26	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
27	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
28	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
29	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
30	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
32	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
33	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
34	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
36	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
37	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
38	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
39	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
40	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
41	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
42	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
44	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
45	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
46	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
47	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
48	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
49	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
52	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
53	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
54	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
55	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
56	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
57	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
58	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
59	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
60	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
61	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
62	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
63	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
64	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
65	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
66	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
67	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
68	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
69	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
70	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Salt Lake City	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
2	São Paulo	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
3	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
4	Mexico City	🇲🇽 México	<5%
5	Sacramento	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
6	Las Vegas	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
7	Toronto	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
8	Philadelphia	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
9	Curitiba	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
10	Edmonton	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Birds of prey	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
2	Carolina Raptor Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Closest Relatives at San Diego

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Buteo lineatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Circus cyaneus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Elanus leucurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo swainsoni

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pandion haliaetus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Haemorhous mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Calypte anna

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Sayornis nigricans

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-shinned Hawk sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 553 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 205th most-seen of the 386 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sharp-shinned Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San Diego the best place to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

30th of 50

Of the 50 cities where we can rate Sharp-shinned Hawk sightings, San Diego ranks 30th at under 5%. The best odds are in Salt Lake City (United States, about 10%), São Paulo (Brazil, about 10%) and Calgary (Canada, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Sharp-shinned Hawk live in San Diego?

Same family: Accipitridae

The closest relatives of the Sharp-shinned Hawk that you can see in San Diego (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Red-tailed Hawk (about 30%) and Red-shouldered Hawk (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Sharp-shinned Hawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Sharp-shinned Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in San Diego (553 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to San Diego

Sharp-shinned Hawk

About the Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sounds

Recent sightings of Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at San Diego

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Hen Harrier

White-tailed Kite

Bald Eagle

Swainson's Hawk

Osprey

Turkey Vulture

American Crow

House Finch

Anna's Hummingbird

Black Phoebe

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego?

When is the best time to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk in San Diego?

What time of day is best to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

Is San Diego the best place to see a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

Which relatives of the Sharp-shinned Hawk live in San Diego?

Where does the Sharp-shinned Hawk sighting chance come from?