Hawk - Coastal Southern California, USA (1 Viewer)

[Craig-O]

For the past few summers this hawk seems to be spending a lot of time in my backyard, but I have no idea what type of hawk it is. I'm not even sure it's the same hawk in all three pictures. Can anyone help?

If it helps, we have a lot of pine trees and eucalyptus trees near our home.

 

[Tero]

It is Coopers or Sharp Shinned, I gotta go for dinner, someone will pick one.

 

[RJP]

This seems to me the kind of accipiter you might get some varying opinions on, but I would call it a Cooper's. In Orange county, that is certainly the default accipiter during the summer.

 

[fugl]

There are at least 2 hawks, an adult (left photo) & an immature (the other 2 photos)

 

[Tero]

There are at least 2 hawks, an adult (left photo) & an immature (the other 2 photos)

Yes, was confusing.

Do you ever see more than one? Did you have a pair nesting and then you hear all this pitiful begging from the young hawks?

 

[Craig-O]

Do you ever see more than one? Did you have a pair nesting and then you hear all this pitiful begging from the young hawks?

Those pictures were taken over 3 years. From left to right (2007, 2008, 2009).

I did see two on one occasion. I don't know about a nest. I always assumed that since I saw them so often they were probably nesting in the eucalyptus windbreak nearby.

I don't recall hearing any unusual bird noises.

 

[Katy Penland]

At first I leaned toward adult Coop for the left hawk, but the folded tail feathers don't appear to be graduated in length as they would be in Cooper's. OTOH, the legs appear to be too heavy for Sharpie and the face has that "fierce" look of Cooper's rather than the more wide-eyed of Sharpie (totally subjective, I realize). The middle hawk looks like it does have graduated tail feathers (of the four that are visible), but whether that's due to molt -- and without a better look at the head and nape -- again I'm not certain it's a Cooper's. The far right juvie hawk looks like the breast streaking is better for Sharpie (thicker) than Cooper's.

Not much help, huh?

 

[Tero]

As you can see from this old thread, it isn't that easy:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=15132

Your first bird is a young adult, it may get a red eye later. It does have some Cooper features but not all. But from your location, most of the birds should be Coopers. This leaves it somewhere in the middle. It may be a Sharpie female, and there the size does not help much, as a male Coopers is the same size. So even though the picture is good, I can't decide.

 

[ceasar]

I'm pretty sure the first one is a Cooper's just based on the size of the Tarsi.
Bob

 

[Jim M.]

I'm pretty sure the first one is a Cooper's just based on the size of the Tarsi.
Bob

Agree.

Best,
Jim

 

[Tero]

OK, Coopers. The picture is large and the bird is puffed up, there is a bit of illusion for size. I was just trying to turn it into a sharpie to see if that works, mainly due to the eye placement. In Coopers, the eye often looks closer to bill as the head is larger.

Agree with Katy on second bird.

 

[JANJ]

I think they are all Cooper´s.
The middle one is a young bird and the broadly white-tipped t-feathers suggest Cooper´s. The third one doesn´t show it´s tail but structure and the underparts streaking suggest Cooper´s

Hello Katy long time no see!

JanJ

 

[Katy Penland]

I think they are all Cooper´s.
The middle one is a young bird and the broadly white-tipped t-feathers suggest Cooper´s. The third one doesn´t show it´s tail but structure and the underparts streaking suggest Cooper´s

Hello Katy long time no see!

JanJ

Heya, JanJ! Good to be back, I've really missed some of you guys!

I thought the breast streaking on the 3rd bird looked awfully heavy for Cooper's, but the fuzzy image might be making the streaks appear thicker than they actually are. More importantly, I know better than to debate with you on photo IDing from marginal photos! :-O