Outdoor Ontario

Request for Information => Bird ID => Topic started by: gray on January 28, 2015, 01:51:08 PM

Title: sharp-shinned hawk or coopers confirmation
Post by: gray on January 28, 2015, 01:51:08 PM

I was in high park today and saw this bird. i am leaning towards sharp shinned - but not confident. can anyone help? thanks so much!  :D

Title: Re: sharp-shinned hawk or coopers confirmation
Post by: Pat Hodgson on January 28, 2015, 03:27:41 PM

I agree with sharp-shinned - bird looks very small-headed, small-billed, short-tailed.

Title: Re: sharp-shinned hawk or coopers confirmation
Post by: gray on January 28, 2015, 04:15:45 PM

thanks! it was really closer to the size of a crow…so i was a bit confused on this one :) perhaps a female?

Title: Re: sharp-shinned hawk or coopers confirmation
Post by: thouc on January 28, 2015, 05:22:46 PM

I think it's a Cooper's. In the last picture the tail looks rounded and it looks capped (as opposed to hooded for Sharp-shinned). The crow size also fits with Cooper's.

/Thomas

Title: Re: sharp-shinned hawk or coopers confirmation
Post by: Pat Hodgson on January 29, 2015, 10:25:37 AM

Yes, I saw the rounded tail but obviously did not rely on it.  If crow-sized then I have to agree with Cooper's, bird looked very petite in photo, shows how misleading that can be.  I have a huge Cooper's and a tiny sharpie that stalk my feeders - at least those two are easy to tell apart, although the house sparrow flock is dwindling.