Sharp-shinned hawk

[ChromeScholar]

This adult Sharp-shin was hanging out in our yard this afternoon. It's one of a pair that nest in one of our trees. I wasn't sure until now that they were Sharp-shins, and not Cooper's. Looking at these pics, though, the head is not square enough, the grey cap extends down the nape of the neck (a Cooper's would have an obvious white separation), and it is much smaller than the Cooper's we have in this area. Oh, and it has that nice square tail.

 

[ChromeScholar]

Another shot...

 

[Feather]

So beautiful!

 

[FLmom]

Oh wow that’s kinda odd to see this post because today I found a hawk that looks just like that in front of our house. It looked like it had been attacked. It was deceased in our front yard I figured it looked like a hawk but I didn’t know what kind.

 

[ChromeScholar]

Florida does have both Cooper's Hawks, and Sharp-shinned Hawks.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Gorgeous. Those sharp, long nails look very threatening.

 

[FLmom]

It is a gorgeous bird. Made me sad to see it that way

 

[MnGuy]

Cool! Nice photos!

Yeah, it can be hard to differentiate between the two at first bc they’re so similar. But once you see both in person, it’s very clear.

I have Cooper’s hawks nesting across my alley, and they look very robust with big heads compared to sharp-shinned hawks.

 

[jeansie1988]

Wow beautiful

 

[Just-passn-thru]

Beautiful

 

[Appolosmom]

I have had a sharpshinned hawk hanging around the last couple of days hope he moves on pretty soon

 

[BirdField]

Good to know how to tell them and Cooper's apart! We have a few Cooper's around our neighborhood and they always fly in and out between the houses. One flew right over my head between the houses once! They're quite the aerial acrobats.

 

[Birdbabe]

Hes beautiful!!