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Need Your Help w/ Raptor I.D.!
Jon Benoit writes:
I have had this hawk or falcon in my yard about 5 times over the past few weeks. I think it might be two different types of birds. In the picture with the bird on the ground, it is holding down a blackbird.
I live in Fair Lawn NJ if that helps in identifying the bird(s). I think it might be a Cooper's Hawk or Red-Tailed Hawk.
I have my suspicions, but what do you think? Your advice is most welcome! (I enlarged Jon's photos a tad so you can see the birds better. Thanks, Jon!)
4 comments
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The Bottom bird is an adult bird–and my guess is Cooper’s just based on size. The top bird is an Immature Accipiter (either Coop or Sharpie) It does have a squarish tail which means it may be Sharpie– but these “Tweeners” (female Sharpies and male Cooper’s are close to the same size) are notoriously difficult to tell apart–so I will leave the ID to the “experts” : )
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Immature Cooper’s Hawk
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Sharp-Shinned, because of the square tail.
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Cooper’s hawk
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4 comments
RF
The Bottom bird is an adult bird–and my guess is Cooper’s just based on size. The top bird is an Immature Accipiter (either Coop or Sharpie) It does have a squarish tail which means it may be Sharpie– but these “Tweeners” (female Sharpies and male Cooper’s are close to the same size) are notoriously difficult to tell apart–so I will leave the ID to the “experts” : )
Deedee Burnside
Immature Cooper’s Hawk
Deb Endresen
Sharp-Shinned, because of the square tail.
Marianne Herrmann
Cooper’s hawk