Hawks and eagles (Accipitridae)
Baby sharp-shinned hawks: from egg to fledgling
A Sharp-shinned Hawk lays 3–8 eggs. They hatch after 30–35 days, and the young leave the nest 21–28 days later — about 51–63 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 3–8 eggs
- Incubation
- 30–35 days
- Time in the nest
- 21–28 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 51–63 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Stick platform deep in dense conifers
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (30–35 days): 3–8 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (21–28 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season sharp-shinned hawks mainly eat warblers, sparrows and finches.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young sharp-shinned hawks are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When sharp-shinned hawks nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in California (Mar) and latest in Alaska (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alaska | May–Jun |
| Alberta | May–Jun |
| British Columbia | May–Jun |
| California | Mar–Jun |
| Colorado | Apr–Jun |
| Connecticut | Apr–Jun |
| Idaho | Apr–Jun |
| Maine | May–Jun |
| Manitoba | May–Jun |
| Massachusetts | Apr–Jun |
| Montana | May–Jun |
| Nevada | Apr–Jun |
| New Brunswick | May–Jun |
| New Hampshire | May–Jun |
| New Jersey | Apr–Jun |
| New York | Apr–Jun |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | May–Jun |
| Northwest Territories | May–Jun |
| Nova Scotia | May–Jun |
| Ontario | May–Jun |
| Oregon | Apr–Jun |
| Pennsylvania | Apr–Jun |
| Prince Edward Island | May–Jun |
| Quebec | May–Jun |
| Rhode Island | Apr–Jun |
| Saskatchewan | May–Jun |
| Utah | Apr–Jun |
| Vermont | May–Jun |
| Washington | Apr–Jun |
| West Virginia | Apr–Jun |
| Wyoming | May–Jun |
| Yukon | May–Jun |
Found a baby Sharp-shinned Hawk?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about sharp-shinned hawks
Frequently asked
How long do baby sharp-shinned hawks stay in the nest?
About 21–28 days after hatching. Eggs take 30–35 days to hatch, so it is roughly 51–63 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Sharp-shinned Hawk lay?
3–8 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do sharp-shinned hawks nest?
Stick platform deep in dense conifers.
What should I do if I find a baby Sharp-shinned Hawk on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.