[skywatcher]

Would this hawk, photographed in Martindale Valley outside Victoria, be a Cooper Hawk?

https://picasaweb.google.com/1103624660 ... 3282083138

thank you.

[rawalker]

It's either a juvenile Cooper's or Sharp-shinned. Tough to tell the size, which isn't always confirmatory anyway, but based on the head shape, I would lean towards sharp-shinned. Interested to hear what others have to say.

Randy - Langley

[taniab]

I was thinking sharp-shinned as well... but it's really hard to distinguish between Cooper's and sharp-shinned. If I could see the thickness of the legs more it might be easier Were the legs on the thin side or a bit thicker?

The tail tip looks rounded though... which is what made me wonder if it is an immature Cooper's hawk. Also the chest looks more brown streaked than barred, also pointing to immature Cooper's.

Hmm...

[ogopogo]

did you happen to see it fly away? I recently had a correction on one of mine by the fast wing beats (Sharp-shinned) versus slowly wing beats (Cooper's Hawk).
And my SSHA was definitely smaller than a crow, had a dark nape, and narrow white band on bottom of tail. This helped also:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutB ... Dtable.htm
I like them when they have one of Andy Stewart's bands on them, then I know for sure they are COHA! Your body shape leans to SSHA but tail leans COHA. tough call. I have several COHA and one SSHA on my photostream.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogopogonat ... hotostream

[Hoss]

If you're identifying accipiters based on wing-beats, cut it out. Its a totally inaccurate way of doing identifying them, akin to IDing accipiters based on size alone. Countless times have I seen a large accipiter flying towards me with deep slow wingbeats, my heart races it must be a goshawk! As the reddish chest and belly come into focus my hopes are quashed, its just a big fat female cooper's hawk flapping slowly. All species will soar, glide, flap fast or slow depending on what they're doing. Sexual dimorphism and juvenile plumage also complicate matters.
That being said, based on the proportionately small bill and overall body size (with reference to the utility line), slim lower body and squat neck I think this bird is probably a juvenile sharp-shinned hawk. Unfortunately the square tail shape can't be seen in this photo. Both cooper's and sharp shinned hawks can be found around Martindale this time of year.

[ogopogo]

me-(darn) God, is that really YOU?
God-Yes, yes it is
me-I didn't know you had a bird monitor in heaven
God-There's a lot you don't know about the Bird World
me-Look, I'm sorry...I wasn't aware of the "no bird flap counting rule"
God-Ignorance of the Imperial tenets of bird identification is no excuse. You are hereby banished to a Tropical Island
me-a Tropical Island? well now, that doesn't sound too bad
God-the only company you will have is a bunch of squawking Parakeets
me-but I hate squawking parakeets
God-That's the whole point

[taniab]

As the reddish chest and belly come into focus my hopes are quashed, its just a big fat female cooper's hawk flapping slowly

and at ogopogo's post, too!