Portland, Oregon - hawk or falcon? (1 Viewer)

[notesfromtheroad]

This small hawk/falcon flew up near my office window, and he seemed so much smaller than the cooper's hawks that I occasionally see around here that I struggled to get a shot. I am pretty sure this is a Cooper's or sharp-shinned, but when I saw him through the binocs, I thought I was looking at a merlin. Can anyone discern fieldmarks to discount the merlin theory on this guy?

 

[fugl]

Definitely an accipiter because of the length of the tail. If as small as you say, a Sharp-shinned, not a Cooper's

 

[notesfromtheroad]

Okay, thank you. I also noticed in my guide that Merlin's have feathers covering their legs to some extent, which would also eliminate this guy. Makes sense and thank you.

 

[james holdsworth]

Agree Sharp-shin.