great information on Accipiter's. (tools for your tool kit) Wing Tips: Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks

Wing Tips: Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks: 

^ click link above for more helpful information 

The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) and Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) are two closely related birds of prey, and pose an identification challenge that some ornithologists used to consider unsolvable.

These two species belong to the genus Accipiter, which contains about 50 other species worldwide. Only one other accipiter, the Northern Goshawk, is found in the USA and Canada. Accipiters' short, rounded wings and long tails are well-adapted for maneuvers in forested habitats.

In today's post we'll discuss how to differentiate this duo while perched; many of these traits can be used for in-flight ID as well. One of the most important themes in this post is that no field mark is reliable on its own. Thus, let a majority of traits lead you to an identification. If there's no majority, it's better to be uncertain than inaccurate!

(all information is copyrighted to Wring-Tips)

This blog shares strategies to identify North American bird species, especially those found in the northeastern US.

Other topics include bird conservation trials and triumphs, general birding tips, and spotlights on avian life histories.
Wing Tips is written by Tessa Rhinehart.
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Cover image: "Wandering Tattler" by Jason Crotty / licensed under CC BY 2.0
The name "Wing Tips" was inspired by Marc Radell, who came up with the phrase during a discussion about identifying broad-winged hawks in flight. Thanks, Marc!

An Inside Look: Raptor Migration

Join bird experts and trained hawkwatchers from Audubon Connecticut, Bedford Audubon Society, and Braddock Bay Raptor Research (plus a special guest appearance by a feathered friend) to learn how to identify raptors in flight, get information on participating in a "hawkwatch" to help scientists gather data, and discover some of the best viewing spots for fall migration.

Lynch Canyon 11-1-2020 _ Lynch Canyon Open Space Raptor Tour _ [West County Hawkwatch]

follow up on Lynch Canyon

Lynch Canyon 11-1-2020  _ Lynch Canyon Open Space Raptor Tour _  [West County Hawkwatch]

(all photos copyright to original photographers, use here for non profit and educational purposes only, photos here shown from WCHW photo pool and not of actual birds from the day, rather just references to help those learning, what we saw and how to tell what they are)

Lots of Red-tailed Hawks, most adult a few juvenile.

below is some Red-tailed Hawk photos, details under photos 

   Adult Red-tailed Hawk, dark hood, dark leading edge of wing, brick red tail, buteo form. 

(above) Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, bird has two tone brown and tan look, note barred tail  

Adult bird, good belly band, dark leading edge on wing, dark hood, brick red tail 

 

 

Juvenile bird, barred tail, with good belly band, dark hood, and dark leading edge on wing (patagial)

Adult bird, good belly band, dark leading edge on wing (patagial), dark hood, brick red tail

 

 

Adult bird, faint belly band, dark leading edge on wing, dark hood, brick red tail 

 

 Photo on right shows "scapular 'V' " the pattern of tan fathers on the birds middle to upper back 

^ Above Red-tailed Hawk details on age and morphs...

Different age and morphs of red-tailed hawks (above)

 We also saw quite a few American Kestrels[below]

 

 

American Kestrel, [male from female difference] Male on left, female on right 

 American Kestrels, male on left, female on right 

 American Kestrels, Female on left, Male on right 

American Kestrel Range amp above ^

We also saw lots of Harriers. (Northern Harrier)

[Male] below

 Male Northern Harrier 

 

 

         Female Northern Harrier 

 

 

                             range map Northern Harrier  

                                          Age and male/female Northern Harrier 

 

We had some views of a Burrowing Owl, lucky to get both in flight views and a perch view.  

      

 

  Golden Eagle hunting Burrowing Owl (just a visual to show the protection to burrows offer)

Good chance some of the burrows we had passed had owls or badgers in them 
Above photos Burrowing Owls, true to their form they love burrows.....  

 

All day long we had Turkey Vultures  

wings held at a dihedral or swallow V and primary feathers at the tips of the wings "fingered out" and small non bird of prey like head, more of a scavenger head.... 

We also had good looks at Golden Eagles, 2 adults and a juvenile

Adult Golden Eagle above

Sub adult Golden Eagles (above, notice white base of tail)

Hey! look whos on the WCHW logo! (Adult Golden Eagle)

So on the drawing above we have Golden Eagles right is adult, middle is sub adult and left is juvenile, aka first year bird.

We also saw White-tailed Kites. 

 ... and to finish out the day we had a Sharp-shinned Hawk. (Below) small woodland hawk, in the accipiter group, short winged, head doesn't get to far past wrists, usually shows a squared off tail. 

Book we mentioned that goes into detail on all these above raptors and highly recommend for the next step in Raptor ID if you are going to take it 

Its got three different covers here are the two most popular covers.

Please check out Facebook page, like and if possible recommend us based on your days experience: on Facebook  www.facebook.com/WestCountyHawkWatch

Check the website for upcoming events: official Web page www.westcountyhawkwatch.com 

And here on this page we post reports from past events, like the event we had at described above: on Google Blogger  http://westcountyhawkwatch.blogspot.com 

thanks for coming out, it was a fun day, Larry Broderick