Search the Community

Awoke this morning to hawk pictures on Nextdoor. All pictures were supposedly taken in the Round Rock, TX area. I'm seeking confirmation, or dis-confirmation, of my guesses... Pictures 1 & 2 were taken yesterday: Most of my neighbors are saying this is a Sharpie or Coopers. I'm thinking with the darker eyes and barrel chest immature RSHA. Picture 3: Don't know when this was taken. I love this shot! I'm thinking RTHA. Pictures 4, 5 & 6: Love these shots too. Supposedly taken in October. That seems a little late for Crepe Myrtle to be blooming. Too, the photographer said she was photographing two bluejays at a nest when this hawk flew in. October is a whole lot late for bluejays to be nesting, right? Anyway, I'm thinking immature Coopers. Picture 7: Don't know when this was taken. I suspect Winter given the bare flora and Christmas lights. The photographer says the bird is eating a pork chop that he gave to it. I'm thinking RTHA.

Wilmington NC, January 7. Sharp-shinned or Coopers? Thanks, Lance

I think this is a Cooper's Hawk based on its size and the size of its prey. Or could it be a sharp-shinned hawk? I trust that the experts on this forum will know for sure!

I've seen this raptor on multiple occasions in my front yard. I have several feeders that are frequented by up to 50 or so house sparrows at times with a nearby bush in which they take shelter while feeding. It seems these feeders provide food for the sparrows, and the sparrows provide the food for the hawk. Anyway, I've been under the assumption this is a cooper's hawk, but figured it never hurts to double check and get additional opinions. Since I was able to finally get some nice pictures. please let me know for sure if it is indeed a cooper's hawk or something else.

I wish very much that I had a picture of what I saw a couple weeks ago while vacationing in Florida. I apologize in advance for only being able to provide a textual description. I was in Big Cypress National Preserve, driving along the scenic loop there. FWIW, I was at approximately N 25° 45.594' W 80° 59.737'. I was driving very slowly - maybe 10 mph - when a small raptor flew across the road ahead of me, carrying a very large, wet frog with its feet. The raptor was flapping rather furiously as it maneuvered through the trees in the swamp. I have been trying to figure out what bird this was ever since. I only saw it for a second or two before it was gone, so I can't offer too much information. Here's everything I can tell you: Habitat - Swamp/Marsh/Forest Length - maybe 10"-15" from beak to tail (can't be more specific than that given the circumstances) Appearance - Predominantly brown. The main thing that I remember that was distinct about it was that as it went into the trees on the north side of the road, it was maneuvering, so its body was more-or-less vertical. I got a full view of its back, with its tail splayed out, presumably to slow itself down. The tail was striped -- I want to say the stripes were brown and buff/beige. The tail was rounded, like a gingko leaf. Not sure of the terminology. Diet - Apparently frogs. I didn't see it eat the frog, but it had definitely caught it. I caught such a quick glimpse of the frog, and I only really saw its underside I think, so I couldn't hazard any sort of guess as to the type of frog it was. The bird may have had the frog by its head. I know the legs were free, and were hanging/flailing. I couldn't tell if the frog was alive, but I did get the impression that it was a challenge for the raptor to fly while dealing with its cargo. The head of the frog was 1.5"-2.5" wide I would guess. Length of the frog was 6"-9" from nose to back toe. Very rough estimate obviously. Date and Time seen: ~1:00 p.m. April 3, 2019 Weather: Sunny, maybe a few clouds. ~80 degrees F, humid. I've come up with a few ideas of raptors with striped tails whose range includes south Florida, but I have not seen any that match that description that eat frogs. Of course it's possible, maybe even likely, that its choice of prey on that day was an anomaly. I just don't know. Any ideas?