Cooper's or Sharp Shinned Hawk?

[Charles K]

I don't think so -- he's killed one of my little leghorns, and my roo fought him (and won) about a month ago -- it's just a matter of time before he kills again. They've been in their covered run 24/07, until recently, when I brought my roo back out after mending -- and even with me out there, here he is. He is relentless.

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

 

[BonNuit]

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

I have black australorps -- :-(

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[mamajos]

I had a red tail hawk eating a crow in my yard a couple years ago.

 

[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

 

[cmom]

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/overview
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/overview

 

[cmom]

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.

I agree...

 

[cmom]

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/overview

 

[BonNuit]

I am now quite certain it's a Cooper's Hawk. I got one of this asshat's feathers today -- and it's barred but not across the vein like a sharp shinned or red tail.