sharp-shinned hawk
noun
: a common widely distributed American accipiter (Accipiter striatus) that is grayish above, has a chestnut breast, short rounded wings, and a tail with a notched or square tip when folded
called also sharp-shin
Examples of sharp-shinned hawk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lark buntings, mountain bluebirds and western meadowlarks are just a few of the passerines that thrive along the Red Deer River, while raptors like the sharp-shinned hawk and prairie falcon can sometimes be seen soaring high overhead.
—
Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The typical diet of a sharp-shinned hawk is 90 percent small song birds, but the rest includes small rodents.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
Late in the afternoon on Sept. 25 staff members brought out a kestrel and a sharp-shinned hawk for release.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2022
Three continuing sandhill cranes at Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area in Hanson, and a sharp-shinned hawk and a dickcissel at the Manomet Bird Observatory in Manomet.
—BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2022
There was a Cooper’s hawk and then a sharp-shinned hawk, each appearing to contemplate their trajectory or considering a mouse meal on the ground.
—Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Oct. 2021
The sharp-shinned hawk is one of more than a dozen raptor species that fly south for the winter.
—Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2019
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Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The typical diet of a sharp-shinned hawk is 90 percent small song birds, but the rest includes small rodents.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
Late in the afternoon on Sept. 25 staff members brought out a kestrel and a sharp-shinned hawk for release.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2022
Three continuing sandhill cranes at Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area in Hanson, and a sharp-shinned hawk and a dickcissel at the Manomet Bird Observatory in Manomet.
—BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2022
There was a Cooper’s hawk and then a sharp-shinned hawk, each appearing to contemplate their trajectory or considering a mouse meal on the ground.
—Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Oct. 2021
The sharp-shinned hawk is one of more than a dozen raptor species that fly south for the winter.
—Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Sharp-shinned hawk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharp-shinned%20hawk. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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