tacreload
Member
This guy has been hanging around for about a week and half.Finally was able to get a couple of pictures last night.They ain't the best but it was close to dark and I was in a hurry.
Feathered visitor
- Thread starter tacreload
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This guy has been hanging around for about a week and half.Finally was able to get a couple of pictures last night.They ain't the best but it was close to dark and I was in a hurry.
Nice shot. Not being a bird person, I'd like an ID. I'm thinking a smaller bird of prey, but ... that thought and enough cash will get you something at your favorite coffee stop.
Closer than I would be.
Accipiter--Coopers or Sharp-Shinned
It is an immature Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk. You must have bird feeders. He is there to rob them--OF BIRDS! Accipiter's are slim bodied, long-tailed falcon-line hawks. They catch other birds. I will have to study some to distinguish between to two. My money is on Coopers--they are bigger with a rounded tail base.
It is an immature Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk. You must have bird feeders. He is there to rob them--OF BIRDS! Accipiter's are slim bodied, long-tailed falcon-line hawks. They catch other birds. I will have to study some to distinguish between to two. My money is on Coopers--they are bigger with a rounded tail base.
VERY close. Certain Red-tails have the streaked front but are much heavily bodied (stocky). They are a Buteo (Buzzard Hawk) with a heavy body and a short wide tail.
Milton
US Veteran
If it is a Cooper's you should see dark bars on the tail running across and perpendicular to the tail as it matures.If you do have bird feeders it very possibly is a Cooper's and you will loose a lot of birds if it decides to stay!
Dead on, but unfortunately sharpies do the same.
Cooper's Hawk, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
With the immatures the sharpie will exhibit at "notch" at the tip of the tail. Coopers is rounded. I think that is best bet to identify at this stage.
Here's one that cleaned out a lot of squirrels in my yard.
Here's one that cleaned out a lot of squirrels in my yard.
That's a red-tail. Notice the shorter, squared tail, legs (heavily feathered), and heavier body. Plus eating squirrels--chicken nuggets to a red-tail.
Red-tailed Hawk, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
BobC357
Member
Here is the hawk that keeps our rabbit population in check...
Do you have one of his back?
Starlings and grackles will empty your feeders in minutes. To keep them away, fill your feeders with safflower. They hate it but it will not keep the songbirds away. In my area, safflower attracts cardinals by the dozen.
Syspila
Member
For me safflower works for a while, then the English House Sparrows dump it out of the feeder looking for something they like. The Native guys love it though. Also, I am in Southern Ohio and Coopers is here breeding but I don't see Sharpies 'til fall.
I would rather they all feast on my birds as they are all native species. It is the non-native cats that eat and sometimes just kill the songbirds at my feeders. I am not a huge cat lover unless they are kept indoors.
I would rather they all feast on my birds as they are all native species. It is the non-native cats that eat and sometimes just kill the songbirds at my feeders. I am not a huge cat lover unless they are kept indoors.
Milton
US Veteran
Yep 6518John you are right!Any of you others want to trade your Red Tailed hawks for several Coopers!?
Identifying these immatures is TOUGH, especially from photographs. The American Birding Association use to have a picture contest like this at the end of every issue and it could make expert, phd, field ornithologist's tear their hair out. I am still not sure about the last hawk. I need to see a photo of it's back. It's either a Coopers or a very slim-bodied Red shouldered I think. I see the gentleman is in California and Red-Shoulded are found up the coast, but not the interior. On of the photos looks like some shading on the shoulder, and that makes me a bit nervous calling Cooper.
wyccad915
Member
where I work there are some red tails that nest. Last year I actually spotted the nest on top of a pine tree. They have relocated it elsewhere this year. Just a few weeks ago I actually got pretty close to the juveniles. There were two of them. I would guess I was only about 15-20 feet away. I have pictures as well, but they are taken with a camera phone and not good quality.
BobC357
Member
No. It too is a Coopers Hawk. No bird feeders around here but tons of rabbits and bunnys. The hawks and owls are well fed.
That third photo of yours kind of made me nervous. Looked liked the upper-chest shading starting in a maturing red-shouldered. Thought I saw some streaking starting on the shoulder too. But your first photo is the classic Cooper's/accipiter presentation coupled with rounded tail tip.
I just read your western Coopers like rabbits too! Our eastern version is a bird catcher/eater. Interestingly read that up to 25% of birds autopsied have fractures in the skeleton from crashing into brush, limbs, trees chasing prey. May we all chase life with that level of passion.
I just read your western Coopers like rabbits too! Our eastern version is a bird catcher/eater. Interestingly read that up to 25% of birds autopsied have fractures in the skeleton from crashing into brush, limbs, trees chasing prey. May we all chase life with that level of passion.
A little update from the other day.Let me apologize for the lousy pictures.This guy shows up every evening right before dark and I am dumber than a box of hammer handles with a camera at that time of day.The first two pics are from last night.He was just hangin' round the bird feeder.The last three are from tonight.Sitting on the back porch with the camera I heard a gang of blue jays raising hell.They cornered him in the back corner of my yard about 60 yards away.He stood his ground there for about ten minutes and then I guess he had enough.You can see him turn and crouch and then launch.Sure beats TV.
medxam
US Veteran
Sharpe-Shinned hawk!
medxam
medxam
Couple of weeks ago at dusk I hear blue jays non stop, could see them bouncing between power lines and trees behind the house but did not know what had them riled. While I was busy marking my territory I heard a soft pop to my right and doggone if the local red shoulder hadn't flown right through the branches and cleanly nailed a dove and flew by me not 10 feet away. Kind of hard to follow without spilling but I managed to get a crappy cell phone pic. Blue jays followed that raptor from tree to tree for blocks before I lost sight.
A little update from the other day.Let me apologize for the lousy pictures.This guy shows up every evening right before dark and I am dumber than a box of hammer handles with a camera at that time of day.The first two pics are from last night.He was just hangin' round the bird feeder.The last three are from tonight.Sitting on the back porch with the camera I heard a gang of blue jays raising hell.They cornered him in the back corner of my yard about 60 yards away.He stood his ground there for about ten minutes and then I guess he had enough.You can see him turn and crouch and then launch.Sure beats TV.[/QUOTE]
Look at the notch at the tail-tip. This is an immature sharp-shinned hawk.
Look at the notch at the tail-tip. This is an immature sharp-shinned hawk.
Cooter Brown
Member
That's a fact--and it sure sounds like you know your birds. Like you say, the juvies are tough to call. I was thinking maybe red-shouldered on that California bird too, but the length of the tail has me leaning toward a Cooper now. Hard to tell from the pics.
Raptors like this can be tough to ID, but it's fun to try.
