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my first Sharpie
May. 4th, 2008 11:33 amThe two accipiters commonly found in this region are Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks. They're very similar and hard to tell apart, even for experts. I'm far from an expert. But yesterday during the spring count I saw an accipiter at the park, and I'm about 90% sure it was a sharpie.
This is what happened: I crossed from the main park onto the adjacent ball fields, and almost immediately I saw one bird (pigeon-sized) chasing another (small robin) past one of those small ornamental trees. The hawk tried to attack but missed, spreading its tail as it stopped itself--I got a good look at its banding. Then it turned and flew back to the trees. Its tail was narrow and square as it flew away. I didn't have opportunity to see its head or other features--it was mostly one big surprise of a chase and a good view of tail. I realized it was an accipiter because it flew back to the low trees instead of off higher, and because it was small (a better reason, but I'm a little slow). I figured I would never know which kind it was, but I checked Peterson's and Hawks in Flight, and I was surprised that I could find defining field marks. The Cooper's has a more rounded tail, and the Sharpie is more squared, sometimes even notched. The Sharpie has no neck, so it's head sits right on its shoulders. I didn't even see a head--too busy looking at the tail--but my impression was that it wasn't as prominent as a Cooper's would be. It was also a small hawk, and the male Sharpies are the right size.
This is what happened: I crossed from the main park onto the adjacent ball fields, and almost immediately I saw one bird (pigeon-sized) chasing another (small robin) past one of those small ornamental trees. The hawk tried to attack but missed, spreading its tail as it stopped itself--I got a good look at its banding. Then it turned and flew back to the trees. Its tail was narrow and square as it flew away. I didn't have opportunity to see its head or other features--it was mostly one big surprise of a chase and a good view of tail. I realized it was an accipiter because it flew back to the low trees instead of off higher, and because it was small (a better reason, but I'm a little slow). I figured I would never know which kind it was, but I checked Peterson's and Hawks in Flight, and I was surprised that I could find defining field marks. The Cooper's has a more rounded tail, and the Sharpie is more squared, sometimes even notched. The Sharpie has no neck, so it's head sits right on its shoulders. I didn't even see a head--too busy looking at the tail--but my impression was that it wasn't as prominent as a Cooper's would be. It was also a small hawk, and the male Sharpies are the right size.
