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Northern Goshawk-immature???

16 years ago

I live in the mountains of Michaux State Forest (southcentral PA) and I've had a hawk snatching the song birds around my feeders lately. I've even noticed feathers on my uncovered back patio. Sunday it finally posed for me on my wood pile which is about 50+ feet away from my feeders. It had a white & brown striped breast, brown back with a couple of white streaks/spots on its back, dark & white striped tail (don't remember how many), yellow eyes and a pronounced eyebrow. This is why I think it is an immature Northern Goshawk. But, it didn't seemed to be a large bird probably at the most 18". I count for Projectfeeder Watch and I really want to be able to include it but I want to make sure first. Any suggestions?

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Comments (5)

Elly_NJ
16 years ago
Hawks are still moving south, and Goshawks may ensconce themselves in PA woods for the winter. So it is certainly possible.

They are big birds, just about the size of Red tails.

Here is a link that might be useful:
birding_nut
16 years ago
If you see the bird again, look at its undertail coverts. An immature Northern Goshawk will have heavily streaked undertail coverts and a Cooper's Hawk will have pure white ones.

BN
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I am also thinking this is a Cooper's Hawk. However, the clincher between immature Cooper's and Northern Goshawk is that the goshawk has brown streaked undertail covers and on a Cooper's the undertail coverts are pure snow white. Although the undertail coverts are not visible, the righthand picture shows the streaking on the breast/belly fading out as it gets closer to the tail, indicating the coverts are probably unstreaked and this is a Cooper's. Also, an immature (1st year) goshawk would appear darker and the streaks on the breast darker and more numerous. Based on all that gibber gabber, I am going with first-year Cooper's Hawk. 1st year NOGO showing undertail coverts. See another link below. Images are not mine but from pbase on the internet. BN Here is a link that might be useful:
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luc_quebec
16 years ago
Hi Karen,

He is probably an immature Cooper Hawk.

Luc
karen_b
Original Author
16 years ago
Luc
I think you may be right. I think I saw a mature Cooper's Hawk Sunday. I studied it, but studied the wrong things. It had a dark back & head with dark cheeks. The pictures in my guides show this cheek only on the Cooper's. Because of the branches I wasn't able to tell if the end of the tail was rounded or not just that it was clearly striped. And it was quite large, much larger than a blue jay. So do you think it was Cooper or Sharp-shinned?
luc_quebec
16 years ago
Hi Karen,

Probably a Cooper Hawk.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk is too small to look like a Goshawk.

Luc

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