Cooper's Hawk vs. Sharp-shinned Hawk ID (2 Viewers)

[Jefferson Shank]

Does anyone have tips on identifying the Cooper's Hawk vs. the Sharp-shinned Hawk?

I can't seem to tell the two apart when out in the field.

 

[The Bird Nuts]

https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bird-ids/coopers-hawk-and-sharp-shinned-hawk/

 

[Jefferson Shank]

https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bird-ids/coopers-hawk-and-sharp-shinned-hawk/

Thanks! Although it doesn't give very much about flight identification which is what I am asking about.

 

[tom baxter]

Thanks! Although it doesn't give very much about flight identification which is what I am asking about.

Much easier in the field usually, as compared to in photos. Sharp-shinned Hawk's heads appear sunken in such that the bill is about flush with the wrists of the wings. They have more square shaped tails with sharper corners, and are notably smaller which is most evident in flight.

Cooper's Hawks have much more pronounced head projection, and their wings are much less frequently bent at the wrists which induces the sunken in head appearance. Once you begin to hone in on this, personally I find the head projection and wing structure to be the most apparent field mark for ID. The tail shape of Cooper's is more rounded on the corners, and they also are notably larger than Sharp-shinned.

The combination of these features can be applied in the field, and with prolonged views against an all blue background in combination with experience can yield very high success rates at properly identifying each species.

 

[Jefferson Shank]

Thank you for the helpful tips, Tom!

 

[steveo]

I have found with wing beats the Coops is slower and more rhythmic and the sharpie is more of a pumping faster tempo.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I have found with wing beats the Coops is slower and more rhythmic and the sharpie is more of a pumping faster tempo.

Agree with this.

On our hawk watch we say that if the wingbeats are too fast to count, it's a Sharpie. if you can count them, it could be either Coop or Sharpie. We also say that a Coop's wingbeats look "arthritic" as if they're working hard to flap.

 

[ceasar]

See the Canadian Peregrine Foundation.

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/identification.html

Click on the pictures under Accipiters. Then click on the Sharp-shinned Hawk picture and scroll down and you will also find a very useful Size Comparison Chart of the 3 North American Accipiters along with the Peregrine Falcon for size comparisons.

Bob