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Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk?

21 years ago

Hi Folks,

I'm sure you get tons of questions like this, but here goes. I think this is either a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I'm in NW Washington State, close to the water. Does anyone know what kind of Hawk this is?

Thanks for your help!

Canadensis

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Comments (11)

sterna
21 years ago
Ok Im going with Sharp Shinned based on the squarish tail.
Nathan
canadensis
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks Nathan,

I think so as well. One of my field-guides described the Cooper's as looking fiercer than the Sharp-shinned, and this Hawk doesn't look that fierce.

Canadensis
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Okay, check out this bird
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Thank you roselee -- Several of us have been tossing this around. I thought at first that I had immature and mature birds of one species ... but when the presumed sharp-shinned showed up again, on 8-16-14 . . . I knew I must have two different species. Now, to figure out which of the two species nested across the street here, in 2013 . . . :-)
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This is the website I always refer to when trying to id these two hawks. I once printed it out and had it in the car. Need to do that again! Here is a link that might be useful: Tricky Bird IDs: Sharp-shinned Hawk and Cooper's Hawk
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It looks from here to be a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, as already stated. The tail on Accipiters is long with wide bands, and this bird has that. As for the differences between Accipiters, juvenile Cooper's Hawks have fine brown chest streaks that usually come short of the belly, and this bird has that. So, good call.
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Some do work as a team. One perches in a tree a little ways off while the other flushes out the birds from cover. The perched hawk will fly at the panicked songbirds and usually get one on the wing. There are also reports of them working together to flush birds and drive them into glass windows but I don't think this method is very common. I would guess the birds panicked and just flew into the glass while rushing to escape. These hawks are loathsome. If you feed, you may want to relocate the feeders to a covered area near a brush pile or inside a hedge. It wont stop the hawks but it may make it harder for them to catch a bird. And you really need to feed at least 30 feet away from any glass or within 3 feet of glass. This drastically cuts down on window collisions.
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sterna
21 years ago
Kinda get that impression eh? Unless your a small songbird lol.
Nathan
Nice pick by the way (From one canadian to another)
canadensis
Original Author
21 years ago
chicka-dee-dee-dee...
luc_quebec
21 years ago
I say Sharp-shinned Hawk too.

Because of the very coarse barrying of the breast.

Luc
orrin_h
21 years ago
And I'll say Sharp-shinned because it seems virtually neckless and small-headed (makes the eyes seem huge).

-O-
luc_quebec
21 years ago
I forgot to say that it is a beautiful and interseting picture.

Luc
Jud_in_Alabama
21 years ago
I'm in agreement with the rest of you. A beautiful adult sharp-shinned hawk.
canadensis
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks folks,

I see what you mean about the short neck.

Canadensis
dakster
21 years ago
Those 2 need to wear name tags....I have the hardest time telling them apart.
breezyb
21 years ago
I fully agree. I have a pair of birds apparently nesting somewhere on my property that I frequently see mating (or snagging birds from my birdfeeder. . . .) that I can't get close enough to with my binoculars to readily identify. Although I have fairly positively identified Coopers as being around, this pair could be either species.

What's interesting is that I also have mated pairs of both Red Tails & Red Shoulders on the property, & the 3 pairs are always bickering between themselves. Even the crows won't get involved when they're going at it - lol!

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