Sharp-shinned Hawk vs Sparkling Violetear

Accipiter striatus compared with Colibri coruscans

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Sparkling Violetear
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Trochilidae
Genus	Accipiter	Colibri
Species	Accipiter striatus	Colibri coruscans

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Class: Aves

Conservation Status

Sharp-shinned Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Sparkling Violetear

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Sparkling Violetear
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Habitat

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

Range

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

Sparkling Violetear

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

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.

Sparkling Violetear

A large, brilliant hummingbird of the Andes and high Venezuelan tepuis, sparkling violetears display glittering blue-green plumage with an iridescent violet-blue ear patch and chin that sparkle intensely in sunlight — delivering on their evocative name. Found at elevations of 1,200–3,000 meters across Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in montane forest and scrub. Among the most common Andean hummingbirds, they are highly aggressive and vocal territory defenders at flower patches.