Habitat: The Sharp-shinned hawk favors woodland borders and clearings. Distribution: This bird of prey breeds in North America and Mexico and in the Greather Antilles. The birds present in North America will spend winter in the western part of Panama. Natural History Notes: This species will usually be found perching on a branch, a little hidden in the foliage. It will also fly in open areas, especially during migration. Its diet mainly consists in other birds. Conservation status according to IUCN 2008 Red list: Least Concern (LC). Characteristics: The total length of this species varies between sexes. The male has a total length of 10 inches, whereas the female has a total length of 14 inches (measured from tip of bill to end of tail). The wings are rather short and rounded shaped, but the tail is fairly long. The plumage above is dark blue-gray and is darker on the crown (top of the head). The part below is characteristic for this species, with a white coloration and stripes rufous brown colored. The long tail is black but also has three gray bands with a white tip.