The Sharp-shinned Hawk is just one more bird coming to the feeder. Sharp-shinned Hawks are found in Alabama primarily in the winter. Both are in the family known as accipters. They are woodland hawks that feed mainly on small birds but will also eat rodents and insects. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is about the size of a robin.
Adults have a blue back and a rusty breast with white bars.
Young birds are mostly brown with pale spots above and are streaked and barred with brown below. The tail is relatively long and the wings are short and rounded. The short, rounded wings allow him to snake through tight places and to make quick turns. The long tale serves as a rudder. This alone however does not make him a match for a healthy chickadee or titmouse.