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Hawk eating

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Hawk eating Post a Comment | Report Photo   
User: Matty013 (see all of Matty013's photos)
Views: 1354
Date: 02/24/04
Filesize: 32.0k, 70.2 k, 640 X 480
Image URL: https://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/5622Hawk1-med.jpg
Author Thread  

hawkman99

Registered: 06/2003
Location: Illinois
Photos Uplaoded: 85
Comments Left: 0

nice pic, how close did you get to him? btw, that is a north american goshawk Rating: 5/5 
02-25-2004 09:20PM View hawkman99's Profile View hawkman99's Gallery  

Matty013

Registered: 07/2002
Location: ca
Photos Uplaoded: 24
Comments Left: 0

I actually took the picture from inside the house. He was about 15 feet away. I have no idea what kind of hawk it was.
02-28-2004 07:38AM View Matty013's Profile View Matty013's Gallery  

Ravenspirit

Registered: 01/2002
Photos Uplaoded: 36
Comments Left: 0

Nice picture - hes either a Male Coopers Hawk, or a Male sharp shin - Im pretty sure a coopers. Rating: 5/5 
03-17-2004 06:21AM View Ravenspirit's Profile  

hawkman99

Registered: 06/2003
Location: Illinois
Photos Uplaoded: 85
Comments Left: 0

are you sure? a sharpie is smaller than a coops, and most coopers are brown and white with streaks, and have more of a square head. This one looks like grey like a goshawk. but I have been known to be wrong.
03-18-2004 02:27AM View hawkman99's Profile View hawkman99's Gallery  

Saker

Registered: 08/2002
Photos Uplaoded: 24
Comments Left: 0

this is not a coopers hawk and definitely not a sharp shin. Only thing left is a gos :) Rating: 5/5 
03-21-2004 05:24AM View Saker's Profile View Saker's Gallery  

hawkman99

Registered: 06/2003
Location: Illinois
Photos Uplaoded: 85
Comments Left: 0

Thanks saker ( tips hat) I did not want to come off like a know it all, but I am a falconer, and know a few people that fly goshawks. a name like saker, are you a falconer?
03-24-2004 01:42AM View hawkman99's Profile View hawkman99's Gallery  

Ravenspirit

Registered: 01/2002
Photos Uplaoded: 36
Comments Left: 0

Ill just say, if hes a gos, why does he have the orange cream banding on his breast....

Gos hawks also have a different colored head then this guy. Hen sharpies, and coopers are brown and strip-E, the adult males are the handsome slaty blue this guy is.

Check this out for pictures, and note the breast and head -

Coopers -

http://www.buteo.com/cooper.html

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3330id.html

http://www.ronausting.com/cooper's.htm
(mostly hens)

Northern Goshawk -

http://www.ronausting.com/goshawk.htm
(see the stripe on the head I am speaking of ?)

I do all sorts of birds, and that isnt a goshawk -
03-25-2004 11:20PM View Ravenspirit's Profile  

hawkman99

Registered: 06/2003
Location: Illinois
Photos Uplaoded: 85
Comments Left: 0

Ravenspirit,
this is a friendly debate I hope. At least it is on my end:}

look at the tarsus (shin bone) in this pic then look at the one in the link that you provided for the coops http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3330id.html

especially the top adult pic. it is very long ang thin. now look at the gos link you provided http://www.ronausting.com/goshawk.htm

look at the pic of the gos flying. its feathers cover more of the leg than the coops, which leads me to believe it is a gos. let me know what you think.
03-26-2004 03:31AM View hawkman99's Profile View hawkman99's Gallery  

Ravenspirit

Registered: 01/2002
Photos Uplaoded: 36
Comments Left: 0

It is indeed a friendly debate- :>

I think what you are seeing is because his legs are tilted forward into the prey. Look at the gos pic next to this one, and the coppers pic next to this one at the same time.

The coloring of the breast, and of the head leave me no doubt that this is certianly not a goshawk.

IMO, Goshawks look more like a beuto, and less like an accipiter, when they are on the ground.

Raven -
03-26-2004 04:38AM View Ravenspirit's Profile  

hawkman99

Registered: 06/2003
Location: Illinois
Photos Uplaoded: 85
Comments Left: 0

(your quote)"I think what you are seeing is because his legs are tilted forward into the prey."

If his legs are tilted forward, then he would be sitting on his elbows (can't think of the name of that joint) and would make him look like he was sitting on his tail. wouldn't you think? Also the grass is not that tall, nor is the prey.
03-26-2004 05:55AM View hawkman99's Profile View hawkman99's Gallery  

Ravenspirit

Registered: 01/2002
Photos Uplaoded: 36
Comments Left: 0

If his legs (or at least the leg facing us) are/is tilted forward into the ruffled prey, like it/they are, he would be sitting on his "ankles". A birds "foot" and "tarsus" are all part of its "foot", and his "knees" are up near his armpits.

While I do not think he is "sitting" on that joint, he is certianly not in a relaxed position, and does seem to be a bit slouched as the reason I can't posotively ID his as a coopers and not a sharpie.

I have no size comparison, and I can't see the tip of his tail, which is broader on a coopers then a sharpshin, and the tail of a coopers comes to a smooth edge, while a sharpshins tail is more blunt.

The lack of white "eyebrows" over his orbital ridge, (A defining feature of adult goshawks, and this is certianly not a juvenile of any of the three species) alone, is a good enough field mark for positive identification as one of the other 2 north american accipiters.

Judging on a gesstamate on the prey being "mourning dove-ish" in size, And on the bird compared to the grass, thats why Im pretty sure hes a coopers.

Raven -
03-26-2004 10:05AM View Ravenspirit's Profile  

kentobizmol

Registered: 09/2004
Location: san jose, CA
Photos Uplaoded: 26
Comments Left: 0
i love animals!

it's probably a sharp-shinned hawk or a goshawk.
it depends on which state he/she took the picture in.
hey Matty103, which state do you live in?
09-30-2004 03:20AM View kentobizmol's Profile View kentobizmol's Gallery  

khorner

Registered: 09/2003
Photos Uplaoded: 34
Comments Left: 0

I am interested in how you ruled out the coop completely kentobizmol (and with no explanation whatsoever, I might add). The state is not gonna tell you anything, cause there is huge range overlap for all three species.

To me, this is definitely not a gos. The lighting is not very good in the pic, but there definitely appears to be reddish barring on the belly. Even if we are uncertain of the colour, the barring is too coarse to be a gos, which should have very fine, grey barring. Also the head markings are completely inconsistant with goshawk, which should show a distinct black bar through the eye, with a black cap and white stripe between. This bird has no eye bar, no white stripe and a cap consistent with the blue body colour.

As for coop versus sharpie, it is very hard to tell, especially with only this picture to work from. The shape and size of the bill and head is one aspect that I would look at, and makes me think coopers. The sharpie has a smaller head and bill, and shorter neck. Still, it is very difficult to tell for sure, easier distinguished in flight.

A note on gender, in contradiction to what was previously stated, male and female coopers and sharpies are almost identical in colouration, with the female usually being slightly larger. Only the gos shows some dimorphism.

Cheers,
Kyle
Rating: 4/5 
04-14-2005 02:32PM View khorner's Profile View khorner's Gallery