Raptor ID

[janine13]

I entered this photo in this months photo contest as a young Cooper's hawk, but I have gotten a couple emails questioning the ID, one suggesting a young Red Shoulder. This is possible, since many adult Red Shoulders live nearby and frequently hunt in the yard.

What do you all think? I figured this was the same individual as the one that had been perching on my birdfeeder a while ago, which was identified by the experts here as a young Coopers. Plus the fact that he was so close to the house, usually the Red Shoulders are more shy. I will post here the same pic from the photo contest, then the one from the birdfeeder for comparison.

[janine13]

Here is what I believe to be the same bird, on the bird feeder some time ago.

[Michael Frankis]

They're different birds. For a quick easy difference, note the barring on the tail - 4+ narrow bars on the top bird, 3 broad bars on the lower two.

I'm not too familiar with Red-shouldered Hawk, but I think I'd agree with the top bird being a juvenile R-s Hawk. The triangular spots on the breast fit well; a young Coopers would have longer, narrower streaks there.

Michael

[NE Birds Plus]

I am one of the folks who questioned the id of the top photo and would like to add that young Hawks do give us a few clues to work with and the cameras we are using these days help to point them out. The top photo showing a dark eye along with the arrow shaped spots on the breast points towards a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. The second two photos showing the long rounded tail, substantial legs and yellow eye would make this, as your local experts agreed, a juvenile Cooper's Hawk.
I have been using the Google search engine, which has the option to retrive photos as well as web pages to help with my Hawk id's. The link to Google:
http://www.google.com/
I hope this helps.

Very nice photos Janine!! Please keep them coming!!

[Candice]

have seen several Red-shouldered and the top is an Eastern Red-shouldered. The 2nd and 3rd photos are not this bird, but possibly a Cooper's.

[Highway Man]

I may be wrong, but I think the second bird may be a Northern Goshawk. Coopers Hawk should not have a supercilium like this bird and the tail should appear more rounded. This birds tail is quite square (though it does appear a little worn). The base of the tail also has a clear white band, which would not be as obvious on Coopers. However I am assuming that the bird is quite large. It looks bigger than our Sparrowhawks or your Sharp-shinned Hawks. If so in my opinion it is a fem/imm Goshawk.

Mark

[logos]

The second bird is a juvenile Cooper's.

Goshawk has much narrower dark tail bands which are edged pale and several dark bands running across the secondaries, whereas this bird has broad even tail bars and just one bar across the centre of the folded secondaries, like Coopers. The primary projection is too short for Goshawk and the streaking on the thighs probably too fine.

I think the head and tail patterns are well within range for Cooper's, though a touch worn/ faded.

Spud

[Highway Man]

I stand corrected Spud.

Mark

[janine13]

Thanks all!