Cooper's Hawk? Vaughan

[nickitka]

Hi,
I saw a new bird of prey in our neighborhood. It seems to be a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, though I am not 100% sure. We have a red-tailed hawk, that "controls" this area. This bird is a bit smaller than a r-t hawk and has a longer tail. A group of mourning doves, which ignores a presence of a red-tailed hawk, took off and left the park when this bird arrived.

[Martin]

I live near the Hwy #407 & Thornhill Woods area adjacent to Baker Woods. Coopers have been a frequent if not daily visitor to my feeders for several years, they are often after the many pigeons from a nearby Esso & Hwy#7 overpass.  I see them daily basis while walking my dogs along the Hwy#7 corridor between Dufferin & Bathurst St's & the large area of open fields adjacent to Baker Woods where I also see many other Raptors including Red-tails.  I have taken many photos, these are just a few I took recently during a snow pellet/rain shower on an adult in a Sumach Tree...
Martin
Sharp-shinned
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124835510 ... 4456411106
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124835510 ... 9323798834
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124835510 ... 4009899874

[nickitka]

I live near the Hwy #407 & Thornhill Woods area adjacent to Baker Woods. Cooper's have been a frequent if not daily visitor to my feeders for several years, they are often after the many pigeons from a nearby Esso & Hwy#7 overpass.  I see them daily basis while walking my dogs along the Hwy#7 corridor between Dufferin & Bathurst St's & the large area of open fields adjacent to Baker Woods where I also see many other Raptors including Red-tails.  I have taken many photos, these are just a few I took recently during a snow pellet/rain shower on an adult in a Sumach Tree...
Martin

https://picasaweb.google.com/1124835510 ... 4456411106
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124835510 ... 9323798834
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124835510 ... 4009899874

Martin, I can't open your pictures. Probably the one I saw yesterday is the same Cooper's, cause we have a flock of mourning doves that moved closer to our house not so long ago.  I saw at least two red-tailed hawks and some birds of prey, which I could not recognize from the bus, near Centre St. and Dufferin. There are more red-tails occupying HWY 7 between Bathurst and Yonge.  I should walk near hwy 7 and 407 with my camera one day =) Thank you for useful info!

[Martin]

Sorry, forgot to take the "lock" off the album, hopefully you can see the photo's now! Please click on my first entry..

[nickitka]

Thank you, Martin! Beautiful shots!

[Martin]

FYI - There was a GH Owls nest a the very top of a very large white pine in the Baker Bush @ Summeridge & Thornhill Woods last season, first saw it in March, the crows were a giveaway every morning while walking the trail with my dogs. Nest is almost impossible to see unless you are in a helicopter looking down. I have not seen action this season but then it is probably a bit early.

[thouc]

Nickitka, yours is an adult (reddish underneath) Cooper's Hawk.

Martin, I believe yours is an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, the body looks slimmer and the hood is connected to the back, roughly the same colour all the way.

/Thomas

[Martin]

Thanks Tom FYI, that's why I have a question mark? Other than size I have a hard time telling the difference specially in flight & that of juveniles..it also hard to reference the size in the photo of the juvinile so I am not sure!

[nickitka]

Thank you, Thomas and Martin!

Today a red-tailed hawk has guarding this territory. So I consider a Cooper's hawk as a random visitor