Outdoor Ontario
Photography => Ontario Birds => Topic started by: Luv2Bird on February 18, 2010, 11:11:17 PM
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Heard his screech but did not see him anywhere. Took shots of Cardinals on my left , then by chance looked up to my right and there he was. I've checked field guides and Cornell's web site and I'm pretty sure he's an Immature Coopers. Saw him again today.
Here's a larger shot ... the Cornell Ornithology web has a pic of a Juvie Coopers (front and back which are almost identical to this one).
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4369690664_a6bc1bee9f_b.jpg)
Here's a bigger shot of the 1st
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4368941341_cbb9084972_b.jpg)
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Great find & I agree on the ID. The yellow eye says Coopers as the juvie Sharpies have brown eyes that yellow with age.
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juvie Sharpies have brown eyes that yellow with age.
Do you have any references to this? In my bird book (National Geographic) both Coopers and Sharpie juveniles have yellow eyes.
/Thomas
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Best place I've found for ID .. is the Cornell Ornithology labs website. Just type the bird name in the search box and they often have several pics of both juvies and males and females.
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Great sighting - it's great when these things fall in your lap.
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juvie Sharpies have brown eyes that yellow with age.
Do you have any references to this? In my bird book (National Geographic) both Coopers and Sharpie juveniles have yellow eyes.
/Thomas
Hi Thomas, yes the reference comes from Mitch Waite's iBird software which I think is the same information used in his Whatbird.com site, where it says;
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Small hawk with blue-gray upperparts and rufous bars on white underparts. Eyes are dark red. Wings are short and rounded. Tail is long and squared with heavy bars. Sexes are similar, although female is usually larger. Juvenile has browner upperparts, brown-streaked white underparts, and dark brown eyes that turn yellow with age.
It seems that differentiating Coopers from Sharp Shinned Hawks is often a difficult thing to do and makes for good discussion which usually confuses me even more :) Perhaps the squarish tail & light coloured head suggest the above bird is a Sharpie.....its for sure a juvie :)
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Hey!!
great spotting a Juvie Coopers
In this situation the Key to the Id. is the raised Hackles the wedge shape at the back o the birds head.
Sharp Shinned Hawks do not have this ability
Reference
"Raptors of Western North America" :oops:
pg. 179 "Long Hackles can be elevated to produce a large, square headed appearance"
Napper:))
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Sue ... cool pictures! 8)
Lots of hawks in Meadowvale lately.
Jo-Anne :)
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Thanks Scott, always nice to learn something new.
/Thomas
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Hi everyone .. thanks so much for your comments. Yes ... Moira , it sure is nice when they appear by "chance". When I go "looking" I rarely find. Napper .. thanks for the great tip re the Hackles!! This guy must live in the area since I saw him again 2 days later. Didn't have luck finding the Pintail at High Park .. plan to try again tomorrow.
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Confused .. Sharpies have squared off tails while Cooper's have rounded tails .. but his barring is like a Juvenile Coopers, not a Sharpie ... check pics at the Cornell Labe of Ornithology site .. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommuni ... x?pid=1189 (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1189) they have great pics of Coopers n Sharpies.
I know it'd difficult to differentiate sometimes. Any thoughts?