Sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk? S. Florida (1 Viewer)

[Zackiedawg]

Hoping someone is able to discern from this very distant and heavily cropped photo. This was a smallish hawk, appeared too small for red-tailed or red-shouldered (unless it's a small juvie) - by size I'd have guessed cooper's or sharp-shinned - another two birders who were nearby were identifying it as a sharp-shinned via binoculars, while a bird photographer nearby was insisting cooper's. I just took a snap of it from about 200 yards, and mega-cropped it to post here in hopes there might be enough to figure out which it might be!

 

[KC Foggin]

I'm gonna go with immature Cooper's but I am probably wrong

 

[The Falcon]

It is actually a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk.

 

[KC Foggin]

Really? Duh!

 

[Zackiedawg]

Interesting! That was actually my outside possibility, which is why I mentioned it in parentheses. It was definitely small, right size for cooper's, but I couldn't help thinking it the possibility of a juvie red-shouldered, especially as there was a nesting red-shouldered over the early winter in that same vicinity (though to be fair, cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks are also common to the area).

 

[ceasar]

Agree on juv. RSH. It's often tough to estimate a Hawks size.

Bob

 

[Parula6]

Definitely juvie Red-shouldered. It's built like a buteo, not an accipiter.

 

[Zackiedawg]

Many thanks to all for the ID!