Thursday, March 10, 2016

Which is Which?- The Answers

Sharp-shinned Hawk or Cooper's Hawk?

How do you think you did?  Telling these two birds apart can be very tricky and gets more tricky with the immatures.  


1.) Answer-Adult Cooper's Hawk


This is a quick shot I got in my backyard.  At first, I thought it was a Sharp-shinned because it was pretty small bird.  Then when I looked at it closer, I saw the black cap, less color on the breast, and more rounded feathers of the Cooper's Hawk.  


2.) Answer- Juvenile Cooper's Hawk

photo credit: Manjith Kainickara/Wikimedia Commons
The larger head, larger legs, larger body and thin streaking on the breast all help to identify this one as a juvenile Cooper's Hawk.  

3.) Answer- Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk


photo credit: Michael/Wikimedia Commons
The more colorful chest and the "hooded" head help to identify this one an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk.


4.) Answer- Juvenile Cooper's Hawk

photo credit: H. Gilbert Miller/Wikimedia Commons

The "capped" head, larger head, rounded tail feathers and larger legs help to ID this one as a Cooper's Hawk.  The yellow eyes make it not quite an adult though it appears to have all of  the adult plumage.

5.) Answer- Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk

photo credit: Cuatrok/Wikimedia Commons

The smaller body, smaller head, and skinner "Sharp-Shinned" look where they get their name help ID this one as a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk.


How did you do?  Stay tuned for more "Which is Which?" posts.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.




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