Sharp-shinned Hawk? Moab, Utah USA (1 Viewer)

[Katemail13]

Hi, everybody.

This bird is a frequent visitor to my side yard, and it frequently eats smaller birds there. I have it tentatively identified as a Sharp-shinned hawk. It's not too big (perhaps about 13 inches / 33cm). I am questioning the ID because most of the websites I have visited say the SSH should have a blue-grey topside, and this bird is very brown. Everything else seems right, though.

Thanks for any comments!

Katie

 

[MLoyko]

Hi Katie,

I would say SSH because of the small round head, non-pale nape with no "capped" appearance. It's hard to tell about the thickness of the legs and the shape of the tale from the angles of your pictures but SSH typically has a squared of tail and thin brittle looking legs. In the first picture is that a stump or a telephone pole it is sitting on?

-Matt

 

[Katemail13]

Hi, Matt.

It's a small stump in the first photo. He's a small bird (smaller than a Cooper's). His legs are fairly thin, and his tail is square. Thanks for your quick reply!

Katie

 

[MLoyko]

Hi, Matt.

It's a small stump in the first photo. He's a small bird (smaller than a Cooper's). His legs are fairly thin, and his tail is square. Thanks for your quick reply!

Katie

Looks like you just answered your own question by saying smaller than a coop's, only two we have that look like that. The reason I asked about the pole is that if he was sitting on the pole it is most likely a Cooper's hakw as they are the only North American accipiter to perch on telephone poles.:t:

 

[ceasar]

........................ The reason I asked about the pole is that if he was sitting on the pole it is most likely a Cooper's hakw as they are the only North American accipiter to perch on telephone poles.:t:

Way to go Matt!:t:
Bob

 

[MLoyko]

Way to go Matt!:t:
Bob

I was trying to remember who told me that! :-O Thanks Bob!!

 

[cavan wood]

To answer your question, as best I can, I think the younger adults are sometimes browner, but when I lighten this photo, the head is in fact quite gray, even though the body has shades of brown.
Scott

 

[Katemail13]

Thanks, Scott.

That actually helps a lot!

 

[Jim M.]

The reason I asked about the pole is that if he was sitting on the pole it is most likely a Cooper's hakw as they are the only North American accipiter to perch on telephone poles.

Hi Matt,

Good point, but absolute statements about bird behavior are often dicey. I remember the Peterson guide used to state that Rough-legged Hawk is the only buteo that hovers -- while I have personally seen red-tails and other buteos hover on occasion.

I think Sibley gets it right with his statement (from his North American guide): "Although habits and habitat overlap entirely, Coopers often perches on fence posts or polls, as well as tree branches, while Sharp-shinned almost always perches on tree branches." I also think we had a thread here before where we had what appeared to be a pole-sitting Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Best,
Jim

 

[ceasar]

I suppose we will have to let Wheeler and Sibley argue this matter out between them. Wheeler's statements about the perching habits of Sharp-shins and Cooper's on telephone poles are unequivocal and emphasized with italics. They can be found under the paragraph heading "Habits" at pages 162 and 174 in his Raptors of Eastern North America and at pages 167 and 182 in the Western Edition. If readers don't have access to these publications, he says; "Sharp-shinned Hawks do not perch on telephone poles"and "Cooper's Hawk is the only accipiter to perch on telephone poles."

I think there may be an occasional diversion from these habits, but, generally speaking, if one sees an accipiter on top of a telephone pole, it's a good bet that it is a Cooper's Hawk.

Cordially,
Bob

PS: While we are on the subject of accipiters and telephone poles, Wheeler also states (Under Habits) that "Northern Goshawks do not perch on posts or telephone poles along well-traveled roadways", although I, personally, have seen them perched on posts along the edges of fields on sparsely traveled country roads.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I told a friend many times that red-tailed hawk don't perch on wires, they perch on the poles.

Until I saw one perched on the wires.

There's an exception to every rule...including this one.

 

[MLoyko]

I told a friend many times that red-tailed hawk don't perch on wires, they perch on the poles.

Until I saw one perched on the wires.

There's an exception to every rule...including this one.

I've seen that many times too..actually maybe once I can't remember but I did see it out in the country.:-O

-Matt

 

[ceasar]

I told a friend many times that red-tailed hawk don't perch on wires, they perch on the poles.

Until I saw one perched on the wires.

There's an exception to every rule...including this one.

Wheeler states that they do perch on utility wires. (See Under Habits) I can't recall ever seeing a Red-tail on wires but I've seen Broad-wings perching there quite often. Always on rural roads though, which makes sense since their summer habitat is around woodland areas.
Bob

 

[fugl]

While we are on the subject of accipiters and telephone poles, Wheeler also states (Under Habits) that "Northern Goshawks do not perch on posts or telephone poles along well-traveled roadways", although I, personally, have seen them perched on posts along the edges of fields on sparsely traveled country roads.

Interesting. I've seen Northern Goshawks perched on a telephone pole behind my house in 3 differents winters. The hawks were immatures in all cases, so must have been 3 different individuals. The pole was in a secluded part of a suburban neighborhood away from traffic & other human disturbance.

Here's a photo of one of the hawks concerned sitting on a plastic sawhorse in my backyard: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/405277956/in/set-72157602221155793/