Look Who is Back!

Cooper's Hawk Hunting

I haven't seen much of the Red-Shouldered Hawk pair in the past few weeks.  I do hear them quite a bit back in the woods.  This is probably a call for food for the little one(s) in the nest.  While they have been busy with raising their young, the Cooper's Hawk has taken advantage and started hunting in my backyard.  

This one actually stayed long enough for me to get a shot of it.  I believe it is a female from it's rather large size.  She tried unsucessfully to catch either a chipmunk or small bird before this shot.  Then she perched above fallen tree where the lucky almost prey was able to hide from her till she flew off.  

The male Red-Shouldered Hawk hunting in my yard back in late March.

I noticed more evidence of the Cooper's Hawk hunting in my yard when I noticed a pile of Morning Dove feathers near one of the my feeders.  The Red-Shouldered Hawks haven't taken a dove that I have seen so I think it was the Cooper's Hawk work.


I guess it is the way of nature of the birds of prey.  When the Red-Shouldered Hawks aren't defending their territory, other predators like the Cooper's Hawk will encroach.   

Read More about the Two Different Hawks Here:

The Tale of the Squirrels and the Hawks

The Tale of the Squirrels and Hawks Part 2

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey Part 2

The Happy Pair

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.

Which is Which?

Sharp-shinned Hawk or Cooper's Hawk

It's that time again to sharpening up your bird identifying skills.  The Accipiter family of hawks can be tricky group to ID especially, between the Sharp-shinned and Cooper's.  These woodland hawks are very skillful at chasing birds on the wing through tight spaces in the woods.  I'm going to be make it even more trickier by adding some immatures.  Can you tell them apart?

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How do you think you did?  Post your answers in the comments or on the Facebook page.  Stay tuned for the answers and don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.  I will credit the photos on the answers post.  

Birds of Prey Part 2

Two Different Ways to Hunt

Red Shouldered Hawk pair in my backyard last winter.

Cooper's Hawk in my backyard this summer.

If you have read the blog for awhile, you know I have two species of hawks that like to hunt in my backyard.  They have two very different but lethal hunting styles.  This morning one of them was successful.

Red Shouldered Hawk's Approach

Red Shouldered Hawk hunting in my backyard last week.

The Red Shouldered Hawk's hunting style is perching in plain view, looking around(like the one above), then striking. It uses it's powerful wings to thrust into flight and catch it's prey mostly on the ground.  The Red Shouldered Hawk is a very loud hawk but I can tell when it is hunting because it is visible but quiet.  The other thing, I have noticed is most of the squirrels and birds carry on feeding around my yard.  They don't seem to be too worried about the talons and sharp beak that is observing them from a nearby tree.  

The red shoulder where it gets it's name.

Cooper's Hawk's Approach

The Cooper's Hawk takes a more stealthier approach to hunting.  It usually catches it's prey by surprise or chases them through the trees.  It uses it's long tail like a rudder and it's shorter wings to maneuver through the trees after birds.  The above pictures (taken this morning) shows how lethal the Cooper's Hawk can be.  This was a Morning Dove that wasn't very lucky.  The below picture is what was left behind after it quickly took it's catch somewhere safer to eat.  The Cooper's Hawk is known to prey on birds around feeders and this is what probably happened in this case.  The squirrels and birds were quiet and nowhere to be found after this strike for about 30 minutes.  

What types of Birds of Prey do you have in your area?  Tell us about them in the comments or on Facebook.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.  Happy Holidays and Happy Birding!