Sharp-shinned Hawks are forest dwellers and prefer coniferous forests. Sharp-shinned Hawks have short rounded wings and long tails that make them agile flyers. Sharp-shinned Hawks build their nests in deciduous trees near the trunk. They eat mostly smaller birds though occasionally will eat small mammals or insects. Sharp-shinned hawks have short rounded wings similar to the Cooper's hawk.
Adults have blue-gray upperparts with a reddish barred breast and belly.
Juveniles have brown upper parts and wings and a buffy streaked breast and belly. The sharp-shinned hawk's tail is not as long as a Cooper's hawk's and appears squared off. The sharp-shinned hawk,s, middle tail feathers or deck feathers are nearly the same length as the outer tail feathers. Sharp-shinned hawks fly with a flap flap flap glide wing beat that is similar to a Cooper's hawk but much faster. The juvenile sharp-shinned hawk is brown backed with rufous edges to some of the feathers.