All,
Has anyone seen the Belted Kingfisher(s) at Huntley since last Saturday? I
haven't seen it on it's favorite perch this week. I read in Sibley's (yes I do
read ;) )
that they often are year-round residents in their nesting area. Anyone know if
this particular pair fits that?
Also,
Thanks to those who tried to help with the ID on my hawk the other day. Below is a list of all the replies I got to E-mail and on the site. Not as clear cut as I thought it would be, and evidently not as easy as the author of the second reply below thought it should have been ;)
==========
I would say that your hawk is an immature Cooper's. The large (in relation
to the body) buffy head, the thick legs, the long tail with a white terminal
band and the tear drop shaped markings on the breast are field marks of a
Cooper's.
===========
Jim,
I suggest you get yourself a good field guide and study it; I also
suggest you get
out in the field, and go with other birders who are more experienced
than you to
help you understand what you are looking at.
==========
Great pictures in your gallery Jim. What type of equipment are you using?
I'm voting Cooper's........
===========
think this is a Coop, but I am not completely sure. There seems to be a
noticable neck, unlike on a Sharpie, and a broad white tip on the end of
the tail. Since this is a juvenile, a look at the breast would clinch
the ID. Coops have thinner streaks.
===========
Peterson's says that Cooper's Hawks tails are rounded which this appears
to be.
===========
If I had to guess, I would say Sharpie. The terminal band is two tone,
white then grey; and in total much narrower than the other bands. Also,
the wings extend well into the third dark band, but I don't know how
diagnostic this is.
===========
This is a tough one. The tail looks very long and like it has a
broad, white tip, which suggests Cooper's Hawk. Although I don't think
that the picure is totally clear on this, the tail appears to have a
curved tip, which also suggests Cooper's Hawk. Much of the rest of the
bird looks more like a Sharpie to me, however. The head looks rounded,
not blocky; the eye looks like it is in the middle of the head, not
close to the bill like on the Cooper's Hawk, although this is by no
means clear; there appears to be a pale eye stripe, which is present on
the juvenile Sharpie but not on the Cooper's; and it does not appear
that there is any reddish or orange-buff color on the head which is
typical of a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, although this too is by no means
clear and I could easily see how some might say that this coloration is
present in support of a Cooper's id. The bird also looks slender
overall, suggesting Sharpie. On the other hand, the streaking on the
upper breast looks like it may be dark, which suggests Cooper's, and not
reddish-brown, which suggests Sharpie. Because the tail appears to be
the clearest characteristic from the picture, I'll guess juvenile
Cooper's Hawk, but would not at all be surprised if I was wrong.
========
Plus three other Sharpie votes on the Pbase page...
Thanks again,
Jim Poor
Fairfax, VA
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