[RyanSadio]

Hello everyone.

I had a recent visitor in my backyard where I usually see Chickadees, House Finches, Flickers, Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, & Bushtits. I have bird feeders so I also have a small mice/rat problem. Today, I saw this large(?) bird sitting in the apple tree and I'm interested to know what it is. It is looking towards the underside of the balcony where the mice/rat usually come from.

Location: Killarney, Vancouver
Time: Dec 9, 2:53PM PST
Guess: A quick internet image search suggests it is a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. Unfortunately, I don't have a zoom lens so I had to crop the image.

[stumblingpiper]

Hi Ryan! It does look like a Cooper's Hawk. The other alternative would be Sharp-shinned Hawk but I think it is too large for that bird. Looking for a tasty meal!
James

[RyanSadio]

Hi Ryan! It does look like a Cooper's Hawk. The other alternative would be Sharp-shinned Hawk but I think it is too large for that bird. Looking for a tasty meal!
James

Hi James! Thank you for your response. It is mighty exciting if that is the case! A couple summers ago, I caught another bird of prey (might have been a hawk) snatch a flicker feeding in the suet feeder. I was equally horrified and amazed at the same time. It is cool to know there is a healthy ecosystem of bird fauna within the city. Not so much about the rats.