The sharp shinned hawk is a small accipiter hawk that can be found throughout most of North America. It is known for its slender body shape and short, rounded wings ideal for maneuvering through dense vegetation when hunting small birds and mammals. One of the defining features of sharp shinned hawks is the shape of their tail.
Summary
The tail of a sharp shinned hawk is short and square or slightly rounded at the tip. The broad shape allows for maneuverability and stability in flight when the hawk is diving through branches in pursuit of prey. While the overall shape is square, each individual tail feather has a narrow, pointed tip which gives the tail a fringed appearance. The tail shape is an adaptation to the sharp shinned hawk’s hunting style and forest habitat.
Tail Shape Overview
Let’s look at the key features that characterize the shape of a sharp shinned hawk’s tail:
- Short in length – Extends just beyond the ends of the folded wings
- Broad and rectangular overall shape
- Square or slightly rounded tips
- Individual feather tips are narrow and pointed
- Allows for agile maneuvering through dense vegetation
The short, broad shape provides lift and stability that enables sharp shinned hawks to swiftly change direction when navigating through branches and leaves. The pointed feather tips produce a fringed outline along the edges of the tail.
Comparison to Other Hawk Species
When compared to other hawk species, the square, short-tailed shape of sharp shinned hawks differs noticeably:
- Red-tailed hawks have long, broad tails with rounded ends
- Red-shouldered hawks have long, narrow tails with squared-off tips
- Broad-winged hawks have medium length, rounded tails
- Cooper’s hawks have long, rounded tails like the red-tailed hawk
The differences in tail shape between these hawk species correlates to their preferred hunting environments and techniques. The long tail of open country hunters like the red-tailed hawk provides stability and steering in open areas. The more rectangular tail of forest dwellers like the sharp shinned hawk allows for agile maneuvering in dense vegetation.
Male vs Female Tail Shape
Both male and female sharp shinned hawks display the classic square tail shape, but there are some subtle differences between the sexes:
- Females have a slightly longer, broader tail
- Males have a shorter, narrower tail
- The female’s larger tail provides more lift and stability to support her heavier body mass
However, the overall square shape with fringed feather tips is consistent in both sexes and is a reliable identifier for this compact hawk species.
Juvenile Sharp Shinned Hawks
Like the plumage, the tail shape of juvenile sharp shinned hawks differs slightly from that of adults:
- Tail is more rounded at the tip in young birds
- Square shape and sharply pointed feather tips develop as the bird matures
- Juvenile tails are important identifying markers for aging birds in the field
By around one year of age, a young sharp shinned hawk’s tail will molt and transition to the adult square shape and pointed fringe pattern. The tail continues to subtly increase in size each time the hawk molts throughout its life.
In Flight
Observing the sharp shinned hawk tail in flight provides critical insight into how the shape aids its aerial agility and speed:
- Broad tail fans out to provide lift during take off
- acts like a rudder when steering through dense vegetation
- Ability to fan tail open and closed aids rapid turning and acceleration
- Square ends and stiff feathers provide support during diving stoops
Watching a sharp shinned hawk rely on its specialized tail to swiftly change direction mid-flight while hunting underscores how perfectly adapted the square, compact shape is to the hawk’s lifestyle.
Purpose & Advantages
The unique shape of the sharp shinned hawk’s tail provides several important benefits related to its role as a small bird hunter in forested habitats:
- Maneuverability – allows tight turning and banking in crowded spaces
- Speed control – spreading tail slows the hawk down when needed
- Stability – broad surface area prevents tilting in high winds
- Steering – acts as a rudder to change flight direction
- Lift – short, wide shape provides vertical lift for takeoff
These advantages provided by the sharp shinned hawk’s square tail highlight how closely linked the shape is to the bird’s specialized hunting behavior and preference for forest environments.
Prey Impacts
The relationship between the sharp shinned hawk’s tail and its prey is an intriguing one. A few key advantages the square tail provides when hunting small birds:
- Enables quick bursts of acceleration to surprise prey
- Allows tight turns within dense cover to seize concealed prey
- Supports rapid braking to grab fleeing birds
- Provides lift to swiftly take off with heavy prey in talons
The hawk’s tail works together with its short wings to enable successful swift attacks amidst the obstructed conditions of the forest understory. The boost in maneuverability makes this hawk uniquely suited for accessing small bird prey often unavailable to longer-tailed raptors.
Habitat Connection
It’s evident that the sharp shinned hawk’s tail shape and its forest habitat are closely linked. A few key connections between the hawk’s tail and its preferred woodland home:
- Dense vegetation requires a short, agile tail for maneuvering
- Ability to spread tail stabilizes flight in narrow, cluttered spaces
- Square, stiff feathers reduce risk of tail damage from branches
- Supports swift movements of hiding and chasing within cover
The hawk’s lifestyle spent darting amidst a maze of trunks, branches and leaves seems to have directly influenced the evolution of its specialized tail structure and flight capabilities.
Identification
When trying to identify a sharp shinned hawk in the field, the characteristic shape and proportions of its tail are very useful to pay attention to:
- Rectangular outline with flat, squared-off corners
- Noticeably wider than it is long
- Extends just past the folded wing tips
- Identify narrow, pointed feather tips
- Contrast with long, rounded tails of similarly sized raptors
Combined with its petite stature, horizontally-striped underparts, and small head, the hawk’s compact square tail is a reliable field mark for confirming species identity.
Conclusion
With its short, broad shape and distinctive narrow feather tips, the sharp shinned hawk’s tail provides critical advantages for agile maneuvering and stability amidst vegetation when hunting small birds. The square tail shape sets this tiny accipiter apart from longer-tailed hawks and supports its role as a swift, specialized predator perfectly adapted to forest environments across North America.