Gray Wagtail vs Sharp-shinned Hawk

Motacilla cinerea compared with Accipiter striatus

Key Differences

• Gray Wagtail is Near Threatened while Sharp-shinned Hawk is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gray Wagtail	Sharp-shinned Hawk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Passeriformes (Songbirds)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Motacillidae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Motacilla	Accipiter
Species	Motacilla cinerea	Accipiter striatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Gray Wagtail and Sharp-shinned Hawk share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Gray Wagtail

NT — Near Threatened

Sharp-shinned Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gray Wagtail	Sharp-shinned Hawk
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gray Wagtail

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, United States, and Venezuela.

Gray Wagtail

Gray Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway