California, Sharp-shinned vs Cooper's Hawks (1 Viewer)

E

ekopa

Well-known member

• Feb 7, 2020

• #1

Hello!

Classical pair. Please help confirm the identification. If I am not right, please explain why. All are from California in October
1-2 Sharp-Shinned Hawk. Santa Fe Dam in LA
3. Copper Hawk? Mission Creek Preserve
4. Sharp-shinned Hawk? Mission Creek Preserve

Thank you!

 

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Jean FRANCOIS

Well-known member

• Feb 7, 2020

• #2

All Sharp-shinned for me.
Jean

 

Jefferson Shank

Well-known member

• Feb 7, 2020

• #3

This is what I came up with.

1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
2 Cooper's Hawk
3 Cooper's Hawk
4 Sharp-shinned Hawk

The attached picture shows the differences in flight which is what I used to determine 2&3 as Cooper's Hawks. The Sharp-shinned Hawk in flight has a sharp forward bend in the wrists and it looks like the head barely comes past the wings. The Cooper's Hawk in flight has more straight wings.

See the link to tell how I determined pictures 1&4.
https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bird-ids/coopers-hawk-and-sharp-shinned-hawk/

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• Feb 7, 2020

• #4

All Sharpies for me.

 

Jefferson Shank

Well-known member

• Feb 7, 2020

• #5

KC Foggin said:

All Sharpies for me.

Click to expand...

Pictures 2 and 3 are definitely Cooper's Hawks. Look at the wrist bend of the Sharp-shinned and the short neck of the Sharp-shinned on the attached picture and then tell me why pics 2 and 3 are Sharp-shinned and not Cooper's.

 

D

D Halas

Well-known member

• Feb 7, 2020

• #6

Jefferson Shank said:

Pictures 2 and 3 are definitely Cooper's Hawks. Look at the wrist bend of the Sharp-shinned and the short neck of the Sharp-shinned on the attached picture and then tell me why pics 2 and 3 are Sharp-shinned and not Cooper's.

View attachment 717625

Click to expand...

Picture 2 has the heavy, splotchy breast streaking of an immature Sharp-shinned, not the lighter, more clearly-defined teardrop-shaped streaks of a Cooper's. In Picture 3, the tail feathers are all clearly the same length. They're all Sharp-shinned Hawks. The picture you're referring to is heavily exaggerating the difference in flight style; Sharp-shinned Hawks do fly with their wings forward when compared to a Cooper's Hawk, but they don't always show that sharp bend at the wrist.

 

Last edited: Feb 7, 2020

E

ekopa

Well-known member

• Feb 8, 2020

• #7

Thank you for the confirmation!

 

B

birdmeister

Well-known member

• Feb 8, 2020

• #8

I see 1-3 as Sharp-shinned, but I think #4 is an adult Cooper's. We can't see much of the tail, but this bird's head looks quite large and blocky to me.

 

R

rkj

Well-known member

• Feb 8, 2020

• #9

Let me try to muddle things a bit more. To me #1 & #2 look like Sharpies - the breast pattern is clear. #3 I see as more likely a Cooper's - the breast streaks are thinner, the projection of the head in front of the wings could fit either but is better for Coop, the tail is so worn I think it is unreliable as an indicator. #4 I make out to be a Coop as birdmeister suggests - hard to be sure, but from what we can see of the tail the feathers look graduated.

 

The Bird Nuts

Birding Duo

• Feb 8, 2020

• #10

birdmeister said:

I see 1-3 as Sharp-shinned, but I think #4 is an adult Cooper's. We can't see much of the tail, but this bird's head looks quite large and blocky to me.

Click to expand...

I agree with birdmeister that #4 is probably a Cooper's. #3 is a clear Sharpie with that small, rounded head with bug-eyed appearance, steep forehead, and small beak. Shape is good as well as the streaking.