Hawk ID help please. Rhode Island (1 Viewer)

[RIR]

Saw this in my backyard this morning. It was eyeballing a squirrel for possibly breakfast. I must have spooked it taking pictures before it could pounce on the squirrel. I have a sharpie hawk that visits but this one looks very different from that one. It does not look like the Coopers in the book I have, but it does look exactly like another persons 2cy? Coop posted on here.

 

[lockbreeze926]

I'd agree you have a juvenile Cooper's there. Fine streaking, chunky legs, square head, general build and apparent size all support it. I think the slightly-raised hackles are also good for Cooper's.

(Terrific shots, by the way).

 

[Lisa W]

Looks like a young Cooper's to me also (but my choices are usually wrong). Very nice pictures, good detail.

 

[talon_dfa]

You are all correct.
Your bird is Juvy Coop (hatched in 2006).

Grey squirrel is a big nut to crack for a Cooper's Hawk.
Grey squirrels weigh aprox 400-800 grams...
Largest female Coop I have seen (without crop) was 549g

 

[RIR]

Thanks for everyones help. I have no experience with birds or hawks. Just a backyard admirer. Whatever flies in my yard I take pictures of.

There were 4-5 other squirrels in the yard when this hawk landed and they all froze motionless for the 2-3 minutes while this was perched on the fence. I don't believe the squirrel in the picture even realized it was there.

I have had a sharpie hawk land on the fence before and the squirrels just carried on without a concern. This one, however, made them all drop what they were doing and not take theirs eyes off of it until it flew away.

 

[AlexC]

I agree fully with a 2CY Cooper's Hawk. I just want to point out - some people use, as a field mark, the 'frightened' Sharpie face vs. the 'fierce' Coop face - this is one of those photos (along with many others) where that ID mark clearly does not support the bird's true identity, as the bird is certainly a Coop.

 

[ceasar]

Agreed. Juv. Coopers. Look at the size of the leg and Talon on what appears to be a 6 by 6 fence support and compare it with the size of the squirrel in what appears to be a 10" or 12" pot. The bird probably figured the squirrel was a bit too big to go after. I've seen RTH's and Goshawks take squirrels but they are big enough to handle them. BTW, nice pictures!
Bob

 

[tburke]

With photos of this quality no question , juvenile coop ( likely female).
Often I make an initial judgement differentiating coops from sharpie when I see the flatter head of cooper's hawk in side profile.
These photos show that characteristic pretty clearly.

 

[Ed Treuter]

I amno expert on hawks but very interested in photographing them. Her is a close up of a sharp-shin hawk I was told

 

[AlexC]

I amno expert on hawks but very interested in photographing them. Her is a close up of a sharp-shin hawk I was told

Nice Sharpie shot! Small head, small bill, dark nape, skinny legs...

 

[cazort]

I love the pic with the squirrel!

 

[christopherrobin]

RIR,
I am in agreement with the juvenile Cooper's Hawk. The one feature that I rely on identifying Hawks on a whole is the tail. Granted , you can't see the tail in your (outstanding, I may add) photos, but I always am comfortable with an I.D. of a raptor if I can see the tail. Length, silohette(sp?)or the cut of the feathers and BANDINGS / BARS of color narrow down the possibilities. Thank for the great shots of this beautiful bird.

C