Ohio Bird

[cobal]

 

[Melierax]

Sharp-shinned Hawk. (Dark nape, "bug-eyed" appearance)

[Charlie Spencer]

I'll second Sharp-shinned.

@cobal, good eye!

[hbvol50]

3rd for Sharpie

[Bee_ keeper]

I would have guessed Cooper's for the second photo.  The head looks kind of blocky here to me, and the cheeks look pale towards the back.  It just has that 'buzz cut' look of a coop to me.

[Charlie Spencer]

To me, the head looks too round and not flat enough for Cooper's.  The eyes are more forward like a Sharpie than a Coop.

The plumage is a bit mixed.  The yellow eye says juvenile but the adult colors are definitely coming in on the head and chest.

[Bee_ keeper]

1 hour ago, Charlie Spencer said:

The plumage is a bit mixed.  The yellow eye says juvenile but the adult colors are definitely coming in on the head and chest.

That's a great point; the bird might not be in full adult plumage yet.. and that makes me lean towards coop even more.  I've seen a few sub adult Cooper's that still had fairly dark color down the nape.

[pcon2009]

I can't necessarily vouch for sharpie, but I have a juvenile coopers that frequently helps himself to the house sparrows in my front yard. I am also in Ohio, and OPs bird looks quite a bit different to the coop I see regularly, so I would lean towards sharpie also. For reference, below is the Coopers in my yard this past Saturday (12/21). I also note the "bug eye" (which seems to be set a bit farther back on the head) and paler face from OP photo compared to my bird below. Not sure how helpful that is, but I struggle with sharpie vs coop as well, so always trying to learn from others as well.

 

[Bee_ keeper]

2 hours ago, pcon2009 said:

I also note the "bug eye"...

Yes, pcon2009, your bird is a 'classic' coop (and a beauty!)  And don't mind me, I definitely see and point taken regarding the OP's bird's eyes. They look bigger in proportion to the rest of the head, which is another telltale trait of sharpies.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Bee_ keeper