Can anyone tell me what kind of HAWK this is?

[centrarchid]

Acciptor (Goshawk, Coopers or Sharp-Shinned) based on long tail
Size looks to small to be Goshawk and too large to be a sharp-shinned based on relative size of fence material
Sharp-shinned generally has a rounder looking head than the flat headed coopers

Brown coloration indicates juvenile / subadult.

Coopers Hawk I think it is.

 

[Matt A NC]

I like http://whatbird.com/

 

[WCflockers]

The Hawk is definitely smaller than I imagined it would be, sorry I am not very good at describing size . I would say an average owl would be bigger than this bird. Thank you everyone for your replies.

 

[dretd]

The Hawk is definitely smaller than I imagined it would be, sorry I am not very good at describing size .  I would say an average owl would be bigger than this bird. Thank you everyone for your replies.  

Looking at the chain linking, I am estimating the overall length to be maybe 20 inches long. This is too long for the sharp shinned hawk and on the upper end for a coopers, so it would most certainly be a female if it US a coopers hawk. The color is consistent with a youngster.

Coopers are pretty common in the backyard areas waiting for a flying snack. I had a juivinile one last year square off with my roo, and when the hens came out and triangulate in on it, it was definitely looking like it had bitten off more than it could chew. They are more appropriately sized to take pigeons and sparrows and the like. Maybe a problem for bantams, too.

 

[centrarchid]

Male Coopers can take juvenile games up to about 5 weeks of age without landing while females can handle up to 7 week old juvenile games. I leave adult rooster out specifically to project those juveniles. The game hens and apparently American Dominique hens can protect the younger chicks just fine although rooster still helps. Hawk fighting with a larger bird on ground will not work if dogs have their way.

 

[ARHinVA]

I saw this and immediately thought of the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons...

On a more serious/cool note - the reason I was searching about hawks is the birds (3 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Ameraucanas) were freaking out this AM in their covered run. There was a red-tail hawk in tree 50 ft away. It is really cool that after beaucoup generations of breeding, and at only 4 months old (no other hawk experience I am aware of) that it is still hard-wired in their DNA to recognize danger and freak out.

Just the biology professor in me talking here. I teach the students "Mother Nature is a, well, lets say a 'female dog'". But not in my backyard, if I can help it.