• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

help with hawk id (1 Viewer)

cal

Member
This was taken in S.E. Michigan.....Thanks for your help.......cal
 

Attachments

  • Img_2731.jpg
    Img_2731.jpg
    122.4 KB · Views: 298
Looks like a big and bulky Accipiter to me, my impression is Cooper's Hawk. Not 100% sure however.

Cheers,Yann
 
Charles Harper said:
The streaking under looks heavy enough for a Goshawk. Got any in your neighborhood, Cal?

Charles, we do have Goshawks. Here is another picture. thanks
 

Attachments

  • Img_2728.jpg
    Img_2728.jpg
    86.8 KB · Views: 264
I don't agree, sorry. Not overly familiar with Coopers... but it doesn't look heavy enough for a Gos to me...

Tail looks way too long and narrow.
 
Jane Turner said:
I don't agree, sorry. Not overly familiar with Coopers... but it doesn't look heavy enough for a Gos to me...

Tail looks way too long and narrow.

I checked my audubon field guide and the description states that a Goshawk has a bold white eyebrow. I'm not seeing that in the second picture I posted in my reply to Charles.......
 
I'm sticking with Gos,mainly because of the thick streaking underneath;Cooper's would be finer and absent from belly.
Also the irregular tail banding,together with the thickness of the tail,Cooper's should be narrower.
Have you a pic of the topsides,Cal?
 
I can't argue for Coopers..having only ever seen one, but unless US Goshawks are radically different to European ones...

Gos even the slimmest underfed male, has a MASSIVE heavy chest and hugely broad wings and relatively short tail, inviting confusion with a Buteo ... like this (ad)
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=2902

European imm Goshawk has a relatively weakly and finely barred tail - this one has broad and very strong barring

Also Goshawks have Buzzard like head - this bird has a relly long narrow head for an Accipiter
 
I've seen a good few Cooper's,but only one Goshawk,so I'm coming from a different angle in that it does not 'strike me' as a Cooper's.
Your experience is greater than mine though,so I'm sure you're nearer the mark.
 
I have never seen a goshawk in Michigan, so I can't talk much...but my first thought was a Coopers, didn't think that it looked bulky enough to be a Goshawk. Don't know much about juvenile hawks, but looks like the young Goshawk is more browner overall then the coops according to my guide...but I cant say for sure, maybe the coops has diferent colors earlier on in the spring?
 
This bird is almost certainly a Cooper's.

1. The breast is lighter than it is dark. When you squint at it, you get the impression of lightness, not darkness. Lightish = Coop, Darkish = Gosh. The effect can be seen best in the less focused 2nd pic. If you don't like that tip, take it up with Sibley, Dunne & Sutton. ;)

2. The wings do not taper towards the flight feathers, which is nearly diagnostic for Gosh (both Coop and Sharpie have stubby looking wings).

3. The wings do not have the 'triceps' (a bulging appearance along the trailing edge) characteristic of a Goshawk.
 
Looks like a classic juvie Cooper's to me. There are 4 black bands on Cooper's (juvies and adults) with the black sub-terminal band somewhat wider. Goshawk juvies have more, and finer, tail banding.
 
I think it's a juv. Goshawk. It appears to be fairly heavy. The tail is not rounded enough for Cooper's. Cooper's in flight reminds me of a flying cross, this birds head doesn't stick out from the wings like normal Cooper's. Just my opinion. Van
 
I'll renege, on the basis of my old NGS, which says definitively that Cooper's has 'entirely white' undertail coverts, while, Gos has 'dark streaks' on them.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top