nonamecreek Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan B Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 I'm thinking 1-2 is a Cooper's Hawk 3 is a Red-tailed Hawk 4-6 is a Cooper's Hawk 7 is a Red-tailed Hawk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birding Boy Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 34 minutes ago, Aidan B said: I'm thinking 1-2 is a Cooper's Hawk 3 is a Red-tailed Hawk 4-6 is a Cooper's Hawk 7 is a Red-tailed Hawk Agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonamecreek Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Great. Thanks! Three confirmations and one dis-confirmation. I can see Cooper's for the first two pics. If the eyes were lighter and it didn't have, to me, a more robust buteo look, which I guess could be due to fluffed-up feathers, I'd have settled on Coop. Would you guys mind giving some info as to what excluded RSHA for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Friedman Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 After clicking through to 1-2 and blowing them up, I'm not seeing any light color in the iris, and I think I am seeing black and white "checkering" on the wings. So Red-shouldered looks good to me on that one. The squirrel picture is brilliant! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited)  24 minutes ago, Jerry Friedman said: After clicking through to 1-2 and blowing them up, I'm not seeing any light color in the iris, and I think I am seeing black and white "checkering" on the wings. So Red-shouldered looks good to me on that one. Given the distance and possibility of the eye being shadowed, I don't think we can judge eye color here. A young RSHA would have spots or barring on the breast, depending on the subspecies, not streaks. Compare the streaks to the other Cooper's hawks pictured above (5&6). It would also have an obvious pale eyebrow if it was a RSHA. Young Cooper's hawks, can also show a speckled back, which can be seen in pic 4, but not in 1&2. The spots you see are banded flight feathers, which you can see in pic 6. Edited January 25, 2021 by Avery 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonamecreek Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Avery said: Given the distance and possibility of the eye being shadowed, I don't think we can judge eye color here. A young RSHA would have spots or barring on the breast, depending on the subspecies, not streaks. Compare the streaks to the other Cooper's hawks pictured above (5&6). It would also have an obvious pale eyebrow if it was a RSHA. Young Cooper's hawks, can also show a speckled back, which can be seen in pic 4, but not in 1&2. The spots you see are banded flight feathers, which you can see in pic 6. Okay, I can go with the shadowed eye. Thanks! Not so sure about the spots or barring thing though (see pic from allaboutbirds.org below). Seeing as this is Texas, I'm thinking B. l. texanus, and I've seen them, I live here, looking, at least to me, streaked, though it seems to extend onto the belly and the bird in pics 1 & 2 doesn't. I'm confused about pale eyebrows too. Like the pale eyebrows in pics 5 & 6? I agree on your assessment of the b & w wing checkering. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 4 minutes ago, nonamecreek said: Okay, I can go with the shadowed eye. Thanks! Not so sure about the spots or barring thing though (see pic from allaboutbirds.org below). Seeing as this is Texas, I'm thinking B. l. texanus, and I've seen them, I live here, looking, at least to me, streaked, though it seems to extend onto the belly and the bird in pics 1 & 2 doesn't. I'm confused about pale eyebrows too. Like the pale eyebrows in pics 5 & 6? I agree on your assessment of the b & w wing checkering. I was going to say that Coopers can have a small supercilium as well, but usually RSHA have a much more noticeable one. I guess I forgot! Nice catch! The striping on a Coopers is much thinner, with less globular teardrops, if any. For the wing barring, I was trying to say that both Coopers and red-shouldered have it, with Coopers having it only on the underwing. I was trying to say that the barring we can see in the first two pics is of the underwing, not the ?top? of the secondaries like the pic you provided. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonamecreek Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 6 minutes ago, Avery said: The striping on a Coopers is much thinner, with less globular teardrops, if any. I think you're right. I'm just learning. Streaking are streaking 'til ya see it differently. I just learned about commas and dark patagial underwing markings as definitive for red-tailed; I've been just looking at tails all these years.  Too, I just noticed the red-shouldered in the pic I posted from allaboutbirds.org has light eyes; perhaps not yellow, but light. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Just now, nonamecreek said: I think you're right. I'm just learning. Streaking are streaking 'til ya see it differently. I just learned about commas and dark patagial underwing markings as definitive for red-tailed; I've been just looking at tails all these years.  Too, I just noticed the red-shouldered in the pic I posted from allaboutbirds.org has light eyes; perhaps not yellow, but light. ? Things like thickness of streaking and gizz will come with more experience. It’s crazy how being around birds with make you be able to ID some of the trickier ones without thinking too hard! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Friedman Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Avery said: I was going to say that Coopers can have a small supercilium as well, but usually RSHA have a much more noticeable one. I guess I forgot! Nice catch! The striping on a Coopers is much thinner, with less globular teardrops, if any. For the wing barring, I was trying to say that both Coopers and red-shouldered have it, with Coopers having it only on the underwing. I was trying to say that the barring we can see in the first two pics is of the underwing, not the ?top? of the secondaries like the pic you provided. Thanks for the interesting discussion. You've convinced me that it's not Red-shouldered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 I need to find a sharpie! I guess where I live coops greatly outnumber sharpies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanbirds Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 7 hours ago, IKLland said: I need to find a sharpie! I guess where I live coops greatly outnumber sharpies That’s true in many places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 3 hours ago, Seanbirds said: That’s true in many places. yeah, why does my peterson guide say they are both fairly common? I feel like cooper's is common, and sharpies and uncommon to rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonamecreek Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 Where I live I see 2 - 3 coops a month just from my backyard. When sharpies show up, 3 - 4 times a year, I still can't tell them from coops but for size. Perhaps we are seeing more than we think? A large female sharpie can weigh almost as much as a small male coop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanbirds Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 11 hours ago, nonamecreek said: Where I live I see 2 - 3 coops a month just from my backyard. When sharpies show up, 3 - 4 times a year, I still can't tell them from coops but for size. Perhaps we are seeing more than we think? A large female sharpie can weigh almost as much as a small male coop. True. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 In my county I have seen 30 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 10 Coopers. Coopers are year round, but Sharp-shinned are only here in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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