Red-crested Cardinal vs Sharp-shinned Hawk

Paroaria coronata compared with Accipiter striatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Red-crested Cardinal	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	Thraupidae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Paroaria	Accipiter
Species	Paroaria coronata	Accipiter striatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Red-crested Cardinal and Sharp-shinned Hawk share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Red-crested Cardinal

LC — Least Concern

Sharp-shinned Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Red-crested Cardinal	Sharp-shinned Hawk
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Red-crested Cardinal

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Chile, Ecuador, Peru).

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

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

Red-crested Cardinal

A striking medium-sized bird with brilliant red crest, white face, and grey body native to South America from Bolivia and Brazil to Argentina, red-crested cardinals have been introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands, becoming iconic garden birds in Honolulu. They inhabit dense shrubs, grassland edges, and suburban gardens, foraging on seeds and small insects. Despite their name and superficial resemblance, they are not closely related to North American cardinals but belong to the tanager family.

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 3 countries:

🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States