Visiting hawk: This hawk flew into our front yard and stayed for quite several minutes. I started taking pictures from indoors but then gradually stuck my head out the front door and...

LeeK Loc: Washington State

This hawk flew into our front yard and stayed for quite several minutes. I started taking pictures from indoors but then gradually stuck my head out the front door and then got closer and closer. I was probably only 15 feet from him by the time he finally flew away (not typical at all). The pictures are out of order but show how he almost seems to start settling in and getting comfortable in the water. My husband and I think it's probably an immature Cooper's Hawk.

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shangyrhee Loc: Nashville TN to Sacramento CA

Great series of a good looking hawk !!! Was it looking for a fish of just taking a bath ? Shang

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Good looking set, Lee!

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

Beautiful bird and wonderful captures...Believe it is an adult Sharp-shinned hawk that looks identical to a Coopers but smaller...thanks for sharing!!

LeeK Loc: Washington State

shangyrhee wrote:

Great series of a good looking hawk !!! Was it looking for a fish of just taking a bath ? Shang

No fish. It was in a small, slightly deeper area in our creek.

LeeK Loc: Washington State

Thanks, UTMike.

LeeK Loc: Washington State

jederick wrote:

Beautiful bird and wonderful captures...Believe it is an adult Sharp-shinned hawk that looks identical to a Coopers but smaller...thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for the identification. I guess I assumed it was the Cooper's since we do see them around here quite often.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Mature bird - red eyes and horizontal markings, immature have yellow eye and vertical markings. No scale or view of other differences between Cooper's and Sharp Shinned. But in cooper's the top of the head/gray helmet usually looks a bit squared off in back when sitting upright and their tail is longer in relation to their body and often appears square tipped with a notch - cooper's the tail appears rounded.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

robertjerl wrote:

Mature bird - red eyes and horizontal markings, immature have yellow eye and vertical markings. No scale or view of other differences between Cooper's and Sharp Shinned. But in cooper's the top of the head/gray helmet usually looks a bit squared off in back when sitting upright and their tail is longer in relation to their body and often appears square tipped with a notch - cooper's the tail appears rounded.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id

Also, like this example, eyes set more forward and smaller beak denotes a Sharp-shinned.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

I agree with sharp-shinned; the clue is that the breast and flank feathers are proportionately larger.longer than those of the larger Cooper’s hawk. The sharpie always appears to me to be wearing a feather sweater two-times too large! The posted images show this well!
Dave

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

LeeK Loc: Washington State

Uuglypher wrote:

I agree with sharp-shinned; the clue is that the breast and flank feathers are proportionately larger.longer than those of the larger Cooper’s hawk. The sharpie always appears to me to be wearing a feather sweater two-times too large! The posted images show this well!
Dave

I love your description of the hawk wearing a sweater two-times too large.

LeeK Loc: Washington State

Thanks everybody for looking in and commenting. I definitely learned something. Thanks for all the info. that you all offered.

laf Loc: Nordland

This hawk is the jet fighter of birds. Our bird feeder gets "visited" two or three times a week. Have seen the take doves and wild pigeons.

LeeK Loc: Washington State

laf wrote:

This hawk is the jet fighter of birds. Our bird feeder gets "visited" two or three times a week. Have seen the take doves and wild pigeons.

Wow!!!