I rolled open the blinds on the kitchen window a few morning's ago, looked into the backyard, and said to my wife, "Look! That hawk is eating a bird!" A Sharp-shinned Hawk was having its breakfast in our (the Coopers not the Sharps) backyard. The hawk had taken down an American Robin a moment before I opened the blinds and was plucking feathers. My wife was actually disappointed that one bird would eat another bird and quickly busied herself with other interests inside our home. I, on the other hand, was thinking that history was in the making in terms of yard bird experiences. I've seen Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks in and around our yard. I've also seen a pile of feathers in the backyard near our feeders a time or two before and thought that one of those hawks must have hunted successfully in the yard. This time, however, I was actually watching the hawk with its prey. It was kind of surreal to watch what was taking place. Nature can be both awesome and terrible at the same time depending on perspective.
Distinguishing between Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks (aka Sharpies) can be quite challenging with juveniles and adults. I think that the first image (adult) below illustrates this well because key differentiating field marks are obscured:
1. Is the nape pale (Cooper's) or matching the dark gray crown (Sharpie)?
2. What is the relative size of the head to the body? Blocky/large (Cooper's) or small (Sharpie)?
3. How broad is the white tip of the tail feathers? Broad (Cooper's) or thin (Sharpie)?
4. Are the outer tail feathers shorter (Cooper's) or relatively equal in length (Sharpie) to the central tail feathers?
What can you share to help in differentiating between the two species? Feel free to share your thoughts in a comment below.
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
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| Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk Preying on an American Robin in Pleasant Grove, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper) |
Great series photos. I know this upsets some individuals but it is a part of nature. Raptors have to eat also. Unfortunately or fortunately they prey on the song birds that like to frequent our yards, attracted to the feeders we put out. I, having had years working with birds of prey am intrigued by birds of prey and enjoy watching them hunt and develop their hunting styles. They are not as successful as many would think but are lucky if they are able to capture something in one out of ten tries.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Dickson. I've seen these hawks fail to catch their prey many more times than I've seen them succeed. They do work for what they get.
DeleteBetter than the inside of a slaughterhouse...everybody's gotta eat. Bon appetite pretty bird!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Anonymous! Thanks for visiting and sharing your comment.
DeleteWhen I was teaching in an inner-city school, we were able to take the kids to a local park for an Earth Day themed day of outdoor learning. While we were there, the kids had a chance to watch a Red-tailed Hawk hunt. They thought it was the coolest thing they had witnessed. There is something extraordinary about watching food webs in action.
ReplyDeleteWow! Great timing for such an outing. I love to see the excitement in the faces of others who witness nature in action. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteNeat to see these in a series, Jeff.
ReplyDelete