Cooper's Hawk in California, ID Help (1 Viewer)

bitterntwisted said:

If that top beam is 3" deep, then the very rudimentary "Coopometer" (pat. pending) below makes the bird at least 33", and realistically at least 3'. If it's a female I wouldn't want to be Mr. Cooper's Hawk in that relationship. I know you've not gone metric, Gail, but are you sure your tape measure hasn't?

Graham

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Terry O'Nolley said:

I was assuming the beam was a 2 x 2.

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bitterntwisted said:

If that top beam is 3" deep, then the very rudimentary "Coopometer" (pat. pending) below makes the bird at least 33", and realistically at least 3'. If it's a female I wouldn't want to be Mr. Cooper's Hawk in that relationship. I know you've not gone metric, Gail, but are you sure your tape measure hasn't?

Graham

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bitterntwisted said:

If it's a female I wouldn't want to be Mr. Cooper's Hawk in that relationship.
Graham

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Hockey.Lover said:

There are two pieces of wood (not sure of terminology) on top of the fence which are approx. 1.5 inches each.

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Terry O'Nolley said:

What you have there is a BACH (Big-A*sed Cooper's Hawk). At the very least a female. Possibly an uber-female. Don't let your cats out and don't get her angry!!!!

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Hockey.Lover said:

I am such a dufus!! As seen in the photos, I was looking at a different part of the fence. DUH!!! I took a shot of a squirrel afterward and it was farther down on the fence. (Blush)

Now it's back to about 1.5 inches. Sheesh....

Sorry...

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Terry O'Nolley said:

LOL! It's all good - I'm sure we all appreciate your going the extra step to go out to your yard and repeatedly measure the board at the top of your fence

We should have just allowed Bitterntwisted to stand with his size estimate! He probably already figured out your fence was 1.5 inches thick at that point!

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B Lagopus said:

I will speak softly so as not to interrupt the good times, but to go to the question that started this, the bird is almost certainly an adult female in my opinion. The rufous auriculars, quite gray mantle, not particulary dark cap, and grayish forehead and supercilium all combine to say female. The orange iris lets in the outside possibility of a 3rd CY male, but I don't think so. No retained juvenile feathers in upperwing coverts (or the blurred rump shot), and again, the gray upperside and forehead would seem to indicate a youngish fully adult female (4+ CY), who is nonetheless not particularly old for an adult either, as the iris has not deepened to red.

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overworkedirish said:

Here's some reassurance for female...

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