I don't think your area is too open for song birds. How long have you been feeding in that location? Deep snow cover will push birds south, even if they winter in your area. Your hawk doesn't sound like an Accitper, the lean Hawks that routinely attack feeders. In my experience, Accipters rarely perch in the open, like on a barn for more than a brief amount of time. They are usually inside the tree canopy. Killing a weasel also suggests its more likely a Buteo Hawk, the big stocky hawks that mainly feed on rodents. Buteos are usually on open perches, along the higways, on telephone poles, on buildings, etc. Accipters usually need the element of surprise to catch a healthy adult bird. In the summer time, adult birds will usually mob them and pester then until they leave the area. This time of year, all the song birds are adults and wise. Accipters usually rely on the stealth, below the horizon attack this time of year. They fly really close to the ground and charge into areas they anticipate birds to be and grab any bird that doenst flush in time. I've seen them make attacks on my feeder when its empty. They build up speed and come around the corner the house ambush the feeder. They will make a J turn around the feeder pole and almost touch the ground (right where the Doves would normally be). They do this even without any birds present. Even using this strategy, I've seen doves escape, usually losing a few feathers. Being out in the open makes its hard for the Hawk to get the element of surprise with lots of eyes watching and no terrian to take advantage of. Now, in the summer time with fledgings everywhere, Accipters can catch them without the element of surprise. If you get alot of accipter attacks, you can try a decoy. Since the hawk usually goes for the last bird to move when attacking. Purple Martin landlords use these to reduce the chances for success. But I don't think your lack of birds is related to the hawk. I've seen our birds spot an accipter 200 yards away and freeze. A Buteo hawk could be perched 50 yards away and they would be indifferent to it, except when nesting.

I know next to nothing about hawks, so I had to pull out my Audubon field guide and really do some searching and comparing. I found myself in a similar quandary as you did: either the Sharp-Shinned Hawk or the Cooper's. The question I have, I guess, is about how large is this hawk? If it was chasing a jay, it would seem to make more sense for it to have been the larger Cooper's Hawk. Although the tail of the Sharp-Shinned Hawk seems to match your photo better. According to the field guide both of these hawks have ranges that would include where you live. I guess in the end I would say it was a Cooper's Hawk. I can't wait to see what others say! Thanks for sharing a fun puzzle.

This is undoubtedly a juvenile Northern Goshawk and a FANTASTIC find! They are not commonly seen, let alone perched in the open. They are of the genus Accipiter, and are closely related to the more common Cooper's Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk. What makes this a Goshawk is: (in comparison to the similar Cooper's), the tail bands are wavy and have pale outlines to the dark bands, and also the upperparts are heavily marked and rather decorative. The massive white eyebrow (supercilium) CAN occur on juvenile Cooper's and Sharp-shinned but it tends to be more prominent in juvenile Goshawks. But the tail and the upperpart patterning are what clinches it here. This is a classic example of a juvenile Goshawk, straight out of a field guide! AMAZING bird. Glad you posted. Which state was this seen (and when)? Interesting it let you come close. I have to say, though, that the adults during nesting season are notorious for attacking and injuring humans that happen upon their nesting area. This post was edited by TMFF on Sat, Oct 11, 14 at 14:24

I, too, would think it would have to be a hungry Coopers that would tackle a grown Grey Squirrel, but I'm sure there are Hawks just that hungry, when they haven't been successful for a day or two--particularly at this time of year, when they need sustinence to survive the cold weather. But, with luck, and just the right death-blow to the Squirrel, it can be done, as in christy's photo. Not far from where christy2828 captured that neat picture, a friend of mine owns an organic market, and while visiting with him the other day, in front of his store, I was somewhat shocked to see a Coopers Hawk fly down to the parking lot in front of his store, and try to catch a House Sparrow (which we call English Sparrows in this area) that was pecking around near a parked car. The Hawk flew next to the car, and the House Sparrow went UNDER the car, and actually got up into the undercarriage of it to escape the Hawk. I couldn't believe it when the Coopers Hawk went under the car, looking around for the Sparrow. The Hawk knew the Sparrow was there somewhere, since it went under the car, and did not fly away. The Hawk walked around under the car, looking behind the tires, etc., for quite a few minutes, before coming out the other side, walking around a bit more, then flying up to a tree. I had never seen such a thing, as a Coopers Hawk actually hunting on FOOT, not from the air. I got the idea that he had been playing this cat and mouse game with other Sparrows in the parking lot--he seemed so casual about it all, not paying a bit of attention to me and my friend, just a very short distance away. Of course, it was in a strip mall in town, so I'm sure the Hawk had no reason to fear people. My friend told me the Hawk hunts outside his store all the time, generally perching in the Sycamore trees in front of the store. He said he had seen the Hawk crash into the hedge in front of his store, to get a Sparrow, and one time, crash into his window, in an unsuccessful attempt--then, shook itself off, and flew back up to the tree. Boldest Coopers Hawk I ever saw--but I guess that's what it takes to catch Sparrows in the city--no fear!