Hawk I.D. Help

Jeff Lear , Feb 08, 2012; 10:08 p.m.

I spent a couple hours photographing this guy/girl last week. It was perched near the top of a very tall tree in my neighborhood, in the middle of a large city in Southern California. I think I've narrowed it down to a Sharp-shinned Hawk or a Cooper's Hawk and I'm leaning towards the Cooper's Hawk based on size. I have several other photos if that will help.

Thanks for your help!

Responses

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Matt Laur , Feb 08, 2012; 10:38 p.m.

Pretty hard to say for sure without a scale reference, but it looks like a Cooper's Hawk to me. Or maybe a Sharp Shin. :-)

I'm going with Cooper's.

Jeff Lear , Feb 09, 2012; 12:32 a.m.

Haha! So at least you can relate to my dilemma.

Charles Webster , Feb 09, 2012; 12:44 a.m.

It's hard to tell when they're perched. The tail shape and pattern is different between them. I spent an afternoon stalking a Sharp Shin Hawk through my neighborhood to get a shot good enough for positive ID.
<Chas>

thom polimeros , Feb 09, 2012; 09:49 a.m.

cooper's hawk

canon 60d + tamron 70-300vc

thom polimeros , Feb 09, 2012; 09:51 a.m.

one more...

canon 60d + tamron 70-300vc

Bill Gussman , Feb 09, 2012; 10:14 a.m.

That is always a tough call to make. Seeing them flying usually helps if you can spot the squared-off tail of the sharp-shinned. This might be of some help...
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/accipiterIDtable.htm
Bill

Jeff Lear , Feb 09, 2012; 05:15 p.m.

Thanks Bill, I read the whole thing and still can't decide. I'm going with Cooper's for now although it does appear to have a rather barrel-shaped body indicative of a Sharp-shinned without the distinct chest-to-hip taper of the Cooper's. It's been hanging around the neighborhood so maybe I'll get lucky and see it again... possibly in flight.

Steve Levine , Feb 10, 2012; 05:13 p.m.

I'd say a "Coopers" as well. The distinctive checkerboard is the give away. Here in NY's Hudson Valley these are quite common.

Kerry Grim , Feb 12, 2012; 07:59 p.m.

Myself, an expert hawk watcher, and a friend who is a world renown raptor biologist all agreed that it is a Cooper's Hawk. The biologist mentioned something I did not know and that is...the forward position of the eye. In a Sharp-shinned Hawk it is always central.

Always great if you can give your photos the correct ID. BTW, excellent photos!

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