Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence under 20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (under 10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be over 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (over 30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population has been estimated at 1,000,000 mature individuals (Partners in Flight 2020). In North America (USA and Canada), the total population size is estimated at 410,000 mature individuals (Partners in Flight 2020). The species' population in North America (USA and Canada) is estimated to have a slightly negative trend, which equates to a small decline in population size over three generations (15.27 years) (Partners in Flight 2024). This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 11.4% within its mapped range over the past three generations (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). As North America holds the majority of the species' global range, the global population size is considered to be decreasing slowly over three generations.
Trend justification
This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (226% increase over 40 years, equating to a 34.3% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America.
This species has a large, discontinuous range in the Americas. It occurs from Alaska (USA) and Canada south to Panama, and populations are also found in the West Indies, in hills and mountains from Venezuala and Colombia through Ecuador and Peru to western Bolivia, and from southern Brazil through Uruguay and Paraguay to south-east Bolivia and northern Argentina.
The species inhabits a wide variety of habitats, depending on the region, including boreal coniferous forests, temperate deciduous woodland, tropical and subtropical cloud forest, gallery forest and semi-open savanna woodland, from sea level to 2,700 m. Outside the breeding season, North American birds can be found in almost any terrain, including urban areas with trees.
Habitat alteration, especially removal of forest, is thought to affect some populations.
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/sharp-shinned-hawk-accipiter-striatus on 25/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 25/11/2024.