Diane:
That's a sharpie for sure. You've nailed all the characteristics, although
I would point out that the outer tail feathers are actually slightly longer
than the central ones, thus the tail would look square when spread. And as
Scott said, size does matter (sorry!) and 12-13 inches is about right for a
sharpie. There's no overlap in length between sharpies and Coops, although
female sharpies and male Coops are close enough that length may not be
helpful if you get only a quick glimpse. Juvenile accipiters especially
will occasionally pursue prey on the ground, sharpies less often than Coops
or goshawks. I once watched an immy female Coops repeatedly run after a
squirrel every time it came down a tree trunk and headed across the ground.
She eventually gave up, hopefully to chase after things she was more likely
to catch.
Olin
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Olin Allen
Shangri-Llama Farm
Monmouth, Oregon
