Immature accipiter

[sbutk]

Hi,

 

I was quite surprised to spot this young hawk just nonchalantly sitting on the rail of our deck yesterday morning (northern NJ).  I’m pretty sure it’s a immature accipiter.  Would anyone be willing to decide whether Sharpie or Coop?  Unfortunately the tail is not in view, so I’d be interested to know what other field marks you use to make the ID.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Aidan B]

Looks like a Coop to me. Those thick streaks along the breast plus the GISS of this bird makes it feel like a Coop to me. 

[sbutk]

12 minutes ago, Aidan B said:

Looks like a Coop to me. Those thick streaks along the breast plus the GISS of this bird makes it feel like a Coop to me. 

 

Sorry, GISS?  ?

[Jerry Friedman]

I agree with Coop.  The bill is relatively big and the top continues the line of the bill more or less smoothly--the bill doesn't jut out from the face.  Also the legs are substantial--no sharp shins here.  I believe a Sharpie would also have more rufous streaking. 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Jerry Friedman
malapropism

[Jerry Friedman]

GISS is "general impression, size, and shape" or "general impression of shape and size" or something.  It was probably invented to explain the older term "jizz", the qualities of a bird that you can't put into words but help you identify it.  Or to replace "jizz", a term some people aren't comfortable with.

[sbutk]

Thank you, both.  I agree with your ID ...especially after reading this page, which you may find as incredibly informative as I did.

http://wing-tips.blogspot.com/2017/12/sharp-shinned-and-coopers-hawks.html

[BigOly]

I think GISS was used in WW1 to try to identify friendly or foe aircraft.

[Charlie Spencer]

12 hours ago, Jerry Friedman said:

GISS is "general impression, size, and shape" or "general impression of shape and size" or something.  It was probably invented to explain the older term "jizz", the qualities of a bird that you can't put into words but help you identify it.  Or to replace "jizz", a term some people aren't comfortable with.

One's a written acronym, the other is a way of pronouncing it.

Either way, it's a technical-sound substitute for 'experience'.  

[Jerry Friedman]

14 hours ago, BigOly said:

I think GISS was used in WW1 to try to identify friendly or foe aircraft.

I've heard that, but I've looked for evidence and haven't found any, and so have other people.

5 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said:

One's a written acronym, the other is a way of pronouncing it.

Either way, it's a technical-sound substitute for 'experience'.  

Other way around, I suspect--one's a word of unknown origin, the other is an acronym made up to explain it.

An interesting thing about that experience from a birding point of view is that people do sometimes put a name to it.  For instance, the Cooper's Hawk's "mean expression", compared to a Sharp-shinned Hawk, comes from its heavier brow ridge and its smaller eye in proportion to its head.  But still, experienced birders can recognize a bird before any words have had a chance to go through their mind.

[Caley Thomas 2.0]

19 hours ago, Jerry Friedman said:

GISS is "general impression, size, and shape" or "general impression of shape and size" or something.  It was probably invented to explain the older term "jizz", the qualities of a bird that you can't put into words but help you identify it.  Or to replace "jizz", a term some people aren't comfortable with.

I thought it was derived from the word "gestalt", but can't say where I recall getting that impression either...