This is as juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. The folded primary tips stop about
2 inches shy of the tip of the tail. On a Red-tail the primaries would be
even with the tail end. A Cooper's primary tips stop at the base of the
tail when folded. The cere is still gray/ blue--that waxy tissue around the
nostrils, unlike the horny beak itself. Adult raptors usually have a yellow
cere. I saw my first 'shoulder in Oregon at Eckman Lake,(Waldport) in 2004.
While it was flying l thought it was a Cooper's--the wings are so short and
the tail so long compared to other local buteos. The wing load is high so
Redshoulders have an Accipter giss in motion.
I believe half or more of the Redshouldered Hawk detections l've made
north of Polk County were in November. And with one notable exception , all
first year birds.
On Thu, Nov 28, 2019, 6:38 PM Andrew Thomas <andy.t@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
As I was watching this bird, I thought it was a Cooper's, but now I'm not
sure. Wasn't able to get a view of the ventral side. Seen at about noon
today at Mary S. Young Park in West Linn (Clackamas).
Thanks,
Andrew Thomas
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