Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk vs Bald Eagle
Accipiter castanilius compared with Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk | Bald Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Accipiter castanilius | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 79.0 cm (31.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 32.7 cm (12.9 in) | 203.0 cm (79.9 in) |
| Weight | 153.0 g (5.40 oz) | 4300.0 g (151.68 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Primarily fish, also waterfowl, small mammals, and carrion. Hunts by swooping down to snatch fish … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk only
None
Bald Eagle only
Bald Eagle
Large bodies of open water including coasts, rivers, and lakes with abundant fish and old-growth trees for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk
Bald Eagle
High-pitched, chattering whistle: a rapid 'kleek-kik-ik-ik-ik'. Surprisingly weak and thin for such a large raptor. Also gives a lower 'kwit-kwit' call near the nest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk
Bald Eagle
North America from Alaska and Canada through the contiguous United States to northern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk
Bald Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk
Bald Eagle
Adults have a dark brown body with a striking white head and tail. Juveniles are mottled brown and white, reaching full adult plumage at age five.
Large, hooked, bright yellow bill
About These Birds
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk
The Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk (<em>Accipiter castanilius</em>) is a raptor belonging to the family Accipitridae, the hawks, eagles, and kites. Detailed plumage and behavioral descriptions of this species are limited in the available literature. The Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk is associated with forest habitats, consistent with its known distribution across forested regions of Central Africa, including parts of the Congo Basin, where dense lowland and montane forests provide suitable habitat for this genus. The conservation status of this species is assessed as Least Concern …
Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States. Once endangered due to DDT pesticide use, it made a remarkable recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. These powerful raptors build the largest tree nests of any bird, some weighing over two tons.