Adult Cooper's Hawk
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Adult Sharp-Shinned Hawk
(Photo Credit: Tom Hoffelder)
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Sharp-shinned hawks ("sharpies") and Cooper's hawks are so similar that even the experts sometimes have difficulty correctly identifying them. Even though the Cooper's hawk is larger than a sharpie, both species are so dimorphic in size that a male Cooper's and a female sharpie can weigh about the same! Also, you can't always count on the field marks. Maybe you can't see the tell-tale tail in a photo, or the hawk might perch in such a way that you can't tell whether his tail is rounded or squared-off. However, there are other differences, and here are a few:
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Cooper's Hawk
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Sharp-Shinned Hawk
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Size
About the size of a crow
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About the size of a blue-jay
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Tail
Feathers graduated in length, making tail appear rounded off
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Feathers equal length, making tail appear square at the tip
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Tail Tip
White tip on end of tail feathers
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Thin white tip on end of tail feathers
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Head
Larger head, squarish if hackles are raised
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Round and small in proportion to body
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Crown of Adult's Head
Dark crown, like a cap or beret, accentuated by a pale nape
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Rounded and like a hood, with no pale nape
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Eyes
Set close to front of head
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Set midway between beak and back of head; appear very large and round ("bug-eyed") in small head
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Chest
Barrell-chested, tubular from top to bottom
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Wide "shoulders" and narrow "hips"
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Juvenile's Chest
Streaks are well-defined, often ending in tear-drop shapes; streaks become less distinct at the abdomen; there is often a prominent dark streak at the throat
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Heavily streaked from neck to thighs, with markings some call "messy" streaks.
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Legs and Feet
Tarsus is sturdy
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Very thin and frail-looking
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Flight
Head projects ahead of "wrists;" leading edge of wings straight across while soaring
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Head appears small in flight, with "wrists" ahead
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Vocalization
Call of adult is lower "kek-kek-kek"
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Call of adult is higher "kik-kik-kik"
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Range
Favors temperate climate and lower elevation during breeding season
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Favors cooler climate and higher elevation during breeding season
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Return to Field Marks
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