Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk has edged down: down 14% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Sharp-shinned Hawk
The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 1,284 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 48 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Sharp-shinned Hawk Trends
No notable trend signals for Sharp-shinned Hawk. See the full index history below.
Sharp-shinned Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Sharp-shinned Hawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.02 (95% range 0.01–0.04). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±84.1%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 2026 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 2027 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 2028 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 2029 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
Where the Sharp-shinned Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Sharp-shinned Hawk, sized by most recent count.
Sharp-shinned Hawk Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -49% | 1974 | 38 |
| Alaska | -60% | 1989 | 28 |
| Arizona | -79% | 1975 | 14 |
| Arkansas | -44% | 1976 | 10 |
| California | -57% | 1972 | 72 |
| Colorado | -70% | 1980 | 57 |
| Connecticut | +28% | 1990 | 8 |
| Delaware | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Georgia | -75% | 1987 | 21 |
| Idaho | -29% | 1988 | 25 |
| Illinois | -75% | 1972 | 19 |
| Indiana | -66% | 1973 | 20 |
| Iowa | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Kansas | -63% | 1974 | 21 |
| Kentucky | -1% | 1972 | 26 |
| Louisiana | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Maine | -20% | 1978 | 36 |
| Maryland | +88% | 1972 | 16 |
| Massachusetts | +32% | 1978 | 16 |
| Michigan | -50% | 1976 | 45 |
| Minnesota | -74% | 1970 | 47 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 8 |
| Missouri | -1% | 1979 | 25 |
| Montana | -74% | 1970 | 41 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 9 |
| New Hampshire | -4% | 1976 | 22 |
| New Jersey | +62% | 1992 | 14 |
| New Mexico | -80% | 1987 | 11 |
| New York | +562% | 1972 | 82 |
| North Carolina | -79% | 1972 | 28 |
| North Dakota | +57% | 1975 | 12 |
| Ohio | -28% | 1972 | 33 |
| Oklahoma | -42% | 1988 | 13 |
| Oregon | -64% | 1974 | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | -48% | 1969 | 97 |
| Rhode Island | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 8 |
| South Dakota | +30% | 1993 | 10 |
| Tennessee | +13% | 1978 | 23 |
| Texas | -55% | 1976 | 13 |
| Utah | -84% | 1987 | 40 |
| Vermont | +48% | 1974 | 17 |
| Virginia | -40% | 1974 | 38 |
| Washington | -56% | 1977 | 42 |
| West Virginia | -60% | 1973 | 32 |
| Wisconsin | -5% | 1973 | 51 |
| Wyoming | -13% | 1981 | 26 |
Sharp-shinned Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | -80% | 1989 | 16 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -75% | 1972 | 68 |
| Great Basin | -78% | 1980 | 57 |
| Northern Rockies | -47% | 1973 | 90 |
| Prairie Potholes | +52% | 1970 | 20 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | -41% | 1970 | 77 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | -1% | 1969 | 55 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +29% | 1973 | 87 |
| Sierra Nevada | -3% | 1979 | 12 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -79% | 1975 | 95 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -74% | 1970 | 32 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -10% | 1976 | 20 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | -65% | 1969 | 54 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | +8% | 1974 | 62 |
| Central Hardwoods | -52% | 1972 | 63 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -36% | 1969 | 17 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | -26% | 1971 | 42 |
| Appalachian Mountains | +59% | 1968 | 232 |
| Piedmont | -55% | 1970 | 65 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | -18% | 1973 | 46 |
| Coastal California | +17% | 1973 | 35 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -75% | 1979 | 12 |
Sharp-shinned Hawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 14% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.