Cooper's or Sharp Shinned Hawk?

[BonNuit]

Could anyone with more experience identify this Chicken Murdering Asshat hawk for me? I tried to get a good picture, and this was the best I could do. Thanks!

 

[centrarchid]

I am betting you want that hawk around. More likely than not, if it has a nest nearby, then it will drive hawks that are a problem away.

Red-shouldered Hawk

 

[Chickstarrs]

I would say that it is a Cooper's Hawk. It is definitely not a red-tailed hawk. The shape and marking of the tail do not match a red-tail. Cooper's and sharp-shinned look very alike. The sharp-shinned is the size of a robin and the Cooper's is the size of a crow. The red-tailed is much bigger and the red-shouldered is just slightly smaller than the red-tailed. Hawks can be very difficult to identify since they have so many different colour phases.

Two summers ago I had 4 juvenile Cooper's take up residence in trees around my house and there were 3 juvies the year before. Fortunately, there were none last year when I got my chickens. They look different from adults because they have stripes on the chest rather than horizontal bars. Their favourite place to chill out was the top of the old swingset.

Here is a little sharp-shinned hawk

 

[roosterhavoc]

I looked it up on google and compared the pictures. I didn’t want to give you the wrong answer. Guessing is fun, but if you know what kind it is. Fish and game may let you shoot them or remove them for you if you can’t.

That is not a red tailed hawk.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Crows are a hawks natural enemies. Put a few Ayem Cemeni in your yard and that should keep the hawks at bay.

that’s a myth. Hawks might pick out lighter colored birds a little faster but they’ll kill black chickens too. Hawks do have excellent eyesight. You’re not gonna fool them like that.

 

[roosterhavoc]

https://www.audubon.org/news/a-beginners-guide-iding-coopers-and-sharp-shinned-hawks

 

[roosterhavoc]

That’s a Cooper’s hawk.

 

[roosterhavoc]

It’s not a red tailed hawk but it might be a red shouldered hawk.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I’m changing my answer to But leaning towards red shouldered hawk.
Hawks are tough to identify since half of what you see is immature birds.

 

[centrarchid]

Cover run and be done with it. You are being cornered by what I think is the least problematic raptor in the US outside the kestrel.