Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii, photographed at the 14th annual hawk watch at Smith Point, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Chambers County, Texas, USA.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 30 September 2010 [with binoculars].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
Question: I'm not sure whether most of you can identify this species, but there are a couple clues in this image that should prove helpful for those who know what to look for -- and yes, you are invited to "blurt out" this species' ID whether you are a beginner or an expert (but you must say which field marks you used to settle upon your identification).
Response: This bird is a Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii -- a juvenile, as revealed by its pale nape.
This species is often confounded with the smaller sharp-shinned hawk, especially since large female "sharpies" can be nearly the same size as small male "coops." But there are several clues in this image that help us determine this bird's identity. First, it has a rounded tail, which is characteristic of Cooper's hawks (sharp-shinned hawks' tail feathers are all the same length, which gives it a blunt, squared-off appearance).
Second, the just-visible right leg provides a hint: Sharp-shinned hawks have very thin legs while Cooper's hawks' legs are stouter. But this field mark requires some experience with looking at these species since it is sometimes difficult to decide if the bird's legs are thick or not.
If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciate audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.
