Anybody good at identifyling birds of prey? Pic included.

[smarsh2]

this is a goshawk. goshawk is larger than a coopers. i don't know why it would be less likely to go after chickens. Swainson's are not around here in winter, that isn't even a red-tailed picture with the one that thought red-tailed (i think that is an immature red-shouldered)
all accipiters are similar. long tailed. all immature are spotted/tear dropped on the breast. this bird just looks way to big for anything but goshawk. although pics are sometimes hard to gauge size.

 

[skydancer28]

I am coming into this discussion late, but I am armed--with the Peterson Field Guide "Hawks of North America." Not to mention my experience in raptor rehab...

I vote juvenile Goshawk. First, with that incredibly long tail, it can only be an Accipiter. Second, the brilliant yellow eyes and completely dark beak--this is indicative of a juvenile Accipiter. No other North American raptor has that combination at any age. Third, the pale lacing on the feathers is the sign of a juvvy raptor--over time, those edges will wear down, resulting in an overall darker-looking bird. I saw the same pattern in a juvenile Osprey I helped rehab.

All juvenile raptors have dark beaks at birth, turning paler with age, first at the base, working its way to the tip. Some, like Eagles, become completely yellow with maturity. Others, like Falcons--and Accipiters--retain the darker tips.

Can't possibly be a Kestrel or Falcon--their eyes are dark, dark, dark at all ages.

Not a Buteo like a Redtail, Red Shoulder, or the very-similar-to-Cooper's juvenile Broad-Wing--tail isn't long enough.

The irregular, wavy tail bands are why I am choosing Gos over Cooper's. Coop's have straighter and darker tail-banding. However, ther is a chance this could be a Cooper's. A body measurement MIGHT help...(see below)

Those incredible eyes--so arresting! They will turn a reddish-orange with maturity. Most other raptors have dark eyes as juveniles that turn yellow with age--another reason why this bird cannot be other than an Accipiter. But not a Sharp-Shin--their tails, when at rest, show a slight notch in the center. This bird's tail does the opposite--the edge feathers are shorter. That leaves only the Cooper or the Gos.

Size-wise, there is only slight overlap between the Cooper--14-19" in body length, and the Goshawk--18-24." However, I challenge anyone to be able to get out there with a tape measure--Accipiters in general are among the most high-strung of the raptors. They are difficult to work with, apt to bash their brains out in a flight cage or tear up their own tails as they frantically try to get away from any human attempting to approach, even when they are badly injured. Most falconers who train Goshawks start with captive-bred, imprinted babies.

Raptor ID is quite challenging, nigh impossible if you base it on coloration alone. Yeah, I know, we have our definite adult Redtails, Bald Eagles, etc. But every species shows a range of color--pale variants, darker races, the occasional albino and other morphs. And depending on the time of day, the angle, the camera, and the computer monitor on which the photo is viewed, a photographic image of feather coloration can vary considerably. That is why I try to focus on things like eye size and appearance, tail length, geographic range, season of sighting and habitat type when making an ID. Color alone can be very deceptive!

And, to answer the above post--Goshawks are forest-dwelling and prey on a variety of game--both birds and mammals. Cooper's can live in forest or in more open areas, and birds are their preferred prey. As recently as yesterday, I lost a hen-Japanese-to a raptor. Wasn't sure what it was, but the hen's head was gone and the neck picked clean. While my husband and I were sitting in front of our picture window, staring at the chicken coop, who should have the audacity to land on it but a very sleek and beautiful subadult female Cooper's Hawk. Sigh. Time to string up the overhead fishline...

 

[taraann81]

Better late than never! I haven't had the luck or perhaps misfortune to have him visit again! I'll keep my camera handy non the less.

 

[jimmythechicken]

not sure but it may be the great"chupacabra" after all no one knows what the look like maybe they have grew wings.

 

[cgtara3]

I wonder if he/she has a nest near by. Someone once said to me that once predators know where your birds are, they keep coming back for more. I am not saying that applies to you, but it makes sense. It's almost as though a sign is put up for them saying "Eat Cheap!"