What kind of hawk is this?

[JoelH]

Can someone tell me what kind of hawk this is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelmhoffman/3349387656/

Is it even a hawk?

Thanks.

-Joel

[jaf]

Hi Joel,
Looks like a cooper's hawk.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Coopers_Hawk_dtl.html

John

"JoelH" <JoelAt...@gmail.com> wrote in message news:fc631b98-0d01-427a...@v19g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

[Allen]

Definitely does look like a Cooper's. As the Cooper's has such a wide
range it doesn't apply in this case, but generally when asking for an ID
of a bird it helps to give where/when info. Incidentally, in Austin TX
we have what seems like a very large number of both Cooper's and
Red-tails nowadays. It is unusual to drive along our urban expressways
without seeing several, hanging around waiting for lunch to venture out.
Allen

[JoelH]

> >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelmhoffman/3349387656/

>
> Definitely does look like a Cooper's. As the Cooper's has such a wide
> range it doesn't apply in this case, but generally when asking for an ID
> of a bird it helps to give where/when info. Incidentally, in Austin TX

Last week in my backyard :-) That is, early March in Westchester
County, north of New York City.

I wonder why it's so fat. (It looks pregnant, which, of course, it's
not.)

-Joel

[Twibil]

On Mar 15, 2:26 pm, JoelH <JoelAtExc...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Last week in my backyard :-) That is, early March in Westchester
> County, north of New York City.
>
> I wonder why it's so fat.

Probably because -like all birds- they fluff their feathers out in
cool weather to provide better insulation.

~Pete

[ransley]

I say its a red tail, I have coopers and redtail out my window and in
my yard trying to catch all the squirrels I fed all winter. The
Coopers are all grey and lighter and that one looks big, like a
redtail.

[JoelH]

> >> Can someone tell me what kind of hawk this is:
>
> >>http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelmhoffman/3349387656/
>

> > I say its a red tail, I have coopers and redtail out my window and in
> > my yard trying to catch all the squirrels I fed all winter. The
> > Coopers are all grey and lighter and that one looks big, like a
> > redtail.
>

> That is a Cooper's Hawk, the 3 tail chevrons with the last one broader
> and darker is diagnostic.

It looks like hawks enjoy a wide variety of colorings. I found this
picture:

http://content.ornith.cornell.edu/UEWebApp/images/VIR_020403_100003_L.jpg

on

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-tailed_Hawk_dtl.html

and to my eye they look a lot like mine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelmhoffman/3349387656/

But the color pattern on the birds' chests is different.

I count four color stripes on the tail, not three.

-Joel

[Allen]

Savageduck wrote:

> That is a Cooper's Hawk, the 3 tail chevrons with the last one broader
> and darker is diagnostic.

> This is much smaller than even a light morph Red Tail.
> If you were going to mistake it for anything else a possibility might be
> a Sharp Shinned Hawk, but it is smaller and there are 4 tail chevrons
> evenly colored, so Cooper's it is.
And its tail isn't red.
Allen

[JoelH]

> >>> Can someone tell me what kind of hawk this is:
>
> >>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelmhoffman/3349387656/
>

> > That is a Cooper's Hawk, the 3 tail chevrons with the last one broader
> > and darker is diagnostic.
> > This is much smaller than even a light morph Red Tail.
> > If you were going to mistake it for anything else a possibility might be
> > a Sharp Shinned Hawk, but it is smaller and there are 4 tail chevrons
> > evenly colored, so Cooper's it is.
>
> And its tail isn't red.

Isn't the red part of the tail on the other side?

-Joel

[Frank ess]

Savageduck wrote:

> Light morph RedTail Hawks can have light grey to light reddish brown
> tails with light contrasting stripes. The mature dark morphs will
> have the obvious "red" tail.

I was told this is a "young Cooper's":
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/44166145_816f1d90ab_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/24/44922748_31857edeb8_o.jpg

--
Frank ess