What raptor is this? Help me id the bird
October 4, 2019 8:58 AM Subscribe
On my way into work today I saw this bird chilling on a fence in the train parking lot. I'd love to know what it is. Location is the Bay Area peninsula.
Best answer: It's either Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk. Looks like Cooper's to me, the ends of the tail appear somewhat rounded, with a white terminal band on the tail. Also looks too big for Sharp-shinned, but that's difficult to judge.
posted by jkent at 9:35 AM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by jkent at 9:35 AM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Yep, it's one of those Accipiter hawks! +1 to @jkent.
posted by dondiego87 at 9:42 AM on October 4, 2019
posted by dondiego87 at 9:42 AM on October 4, 2019
Response by poster: It definitely seemed more crow sized which from the links would make it a cooper's hawk I think. Thank you so much!
posted by Carillon at 9:48 AM on October 4, 2019
posted by Carillon at 9:48 AM on October 4, 2019
Cooper's & Sharp-Shinned are notoriously difficult to differentiate, but I would also tend towards Cooper's given the shape of the head.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:58 AM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:58 AM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oh, and their primary food is other birds, so it was probably looking for starlings, pigeons, robins, or other common urban/suburban birds.
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:00 AM on October 4, 2019
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:00 AM on October 4, 2019
For future reference, the Audubon Society has a Bird Guide App which helps you identify birds by habitat, size, behavior, physical description, wing and tail shape, and bird category.
I can't say it would work great on this feathered friend because it's not doing anything, birdwise, but it's a good start. Using your pics, it gave me 11 candidates, of which, IMO, an immature Cooper's Hawk seems like the closest match.
The generally even, bland coloring generally indicates a juvenile, to me. It should become more distinctive as it matures and starts signalling its sex.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:07 PM on October 4, 2019
I can't say it would work great on this feathered friend because it's not doing anything, birdwise, but it's a good start. Using your pics, it gave me 11 candidates, of which, IMO, an immature Cooper's Hawk seems like the closest match.
The generally even, bland coloring generally indicates a juvenile, to me. It should become more distinctive as it matures and starts signalling its sex.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:07 PM on October 4, 2019
Forgive me, but this question made me miss rtha. I bet she would've chimed in.
posted by spork at 6:52 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by spork at 6:52 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
« Older Tips on cleaning/painting before moving into a... | PMS and nocturnal panic attacks. Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 9:23 AM on October 4, 2019