Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk vs Sharp-shinned Hawk

Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk

Accipiter rufiventris

Medium198 gForest

A small raptor, with a height of about 30 cm and wingspan of 72 cm, the rufous-breasted sparrowhawk is named for its distinctive rufous-coloured underparts, which can be seen both perching and in flight. It is dark grey slate-brown above, including the head, with a black bill and eyes that are yellow at all ages. In flight, the bold bars on both its wings and tail are clearly visible. Juvenile plumage ranges from the rufous-color of adults to more white, but all have feathers with dark shaft streaks on their underside. Voice: Its call is a series of high, fast "kew" notes, with the male being higher-pitched than the female. A more drawn out "kieee-u" is made by the female to request food from the nearby male, and is adopted by the young as a begging call whenever adults are near.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Christiaan Viljoen · CC BY 4.0

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Medium131 gForest

This is a small Accipiter hawk, with males 23 to 30 cm (9.1 to 11.8 in) long, with a wingspan of 42 to 58 cm (17 to 23 in) and weight from 82–115 g (2.9–4.1 oz). As common in Accipiter hawks, females are distinctly larger in size, averaging some 30% longer, and with a weight advantage of more than 50% being common. The female measures 29 to 37 cm (11 to 15 in) in length, has a wingspan of 58 to 68 cm (23 to 27 in) and weighs 150 to 219 g (5.3 to 7.7 oz). The wings measure 14.1–22.9 cm (5.6–9.0 in) each, the tail is 12–19 cm (4.7–7.5 in) long and the tarsus is 4.5–5.9 cm (1.8–2.3 in).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Troy B, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Troy B · cc-by

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk.