Hawk ID

[Wulff]

I don't want to flood the board with request for IDs , it is after all part of the learning process but given our track record in correctly identifying hawks Id like to make sure of this. Spent some time checking our guides, and Im fairly confident this is a rough skinned, but would appreciate some confirmation. Was taken from back yard of all places


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[Iain]

By 'Rough-skinned' I'm assuming you mean Rough-legged.  Unfortunately, it is neither.  The long banded tail, gray back and deep orange eye make it either a Sharp-shinned or Coopers Hawk.  Coopers are generally larger although the two species overlap (female sharpies being quite similar to male Coopers in size), and to me this bird has the 'stature' of a Coopers.  

Iain

[Andreas Jonsson]

...this bird has the 'stature' of a Coopers.  

I agree: Coopers hawk. Other diagnostics are reddish belly, white-tipped tail and very short primary projection (the length by which the primaries extend beyond the tertial feathers). The latter point is a very useful characteristic, not often cited in the literature. Compare to the rough-legged and you'll see a huge difference (primaries extend to the end of the tail).

Versus the sharpshinned, I don't know of a good diagnostic other than size and general shape.

Also, don't worry about flooding the board. This forum is meant for bird ID discussions!

[Wulff]

Correction.
lol, I "meant"  Sharp-shinned and  I have no explanation as to how I managed to type Rough-skined. I really have no clue.

white-tipped tail and very short primary projection (the length by which the primaries extend beyond the tertial feathers).

We looked at both the Sharp-shinned and the Coopers as being the most likely, atleast we got something right. That was one of the key determinants used to narrow it to one of the two. While I have learned by now that "colouration" isn't everything another was the patterning and colour around the neck.  In the guide we're using the Coopers had almost a solid and dark brown pattern, where-as the bird pictured, its a lighter brown almost cream and sparser and its alot closer to the images we have available to us.

Thanks again.
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