Sharp-Shinned Hawk (was What is this cool little bird?)

[TexasSam]

EDIT: the second one is a sharp shinned(after further review) they are hard to tell apart and almost impossible to tell apart with a side view

They are but if you think about the size a Cooper with that size would be a juvenile and what color are juvenile Coopers?

Mississippi kite

Juvenile Coopers

Sharp shinned

 

[Kathy Golla]

@casportpony are u seeing that where you are?
I haven't seen one of those yet in SF Bay Area. Just red tailed.
I'm sure these birds are around though.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

People told me this is a Red Tail:
View attachment 1229927

Somehow I missed this. What fantastic creature! Yes, a Red-tailed. Very powerful looking. Wouldn't want one mad at me.

My son and I saw a big hawk get clipped by a fast moving car on the highway. Bird cartwheeled over a few times and luckily landed on the side of the road, out of traffic. It was alive, but stunned, so we picked it up (with a blanket!) and waited for the bird rescue to come get it. I thought that bird was big, but much more slender than a Red-tailed. Turned out it was a female juvenile Northern Harrier. It was fine, bird rescue released it in a couple of days. I think I see it along that road sometimes, up on the power poles.

Northern Harriers have owlish looking faces.

 

[sfaith102]

Somehow I missed this. What fantastic creature! Yes, a Red-tailed. Very powerful looking. Wouldn't want one mad at me.

My son and I saw a big hawk get clipped by a fast moving car on the highway. Bird cartwheeled over a few times and luckily landed on the side of the road, out of traffic. It was alive, but stunned, so we picked it up (with a blanket!) and waited for the bird rescue to come get it. I thought that bird was big, but much more slender than a Red-tailed. Turned out it was a female juvenile Northern Harrier. It was fine, bird rescue released it in a couple of days. I think I see it along that road sometimes, up on the power poles.

Northern Harriers have owlish looking faces.

So pretty! They look out of this world though.

 

[deepbluesea]

I vote sharp-shin hawk.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I think what Miss Pony saw is a Sparrow Hawk. Even though it flies under the name of "Hawk" this bird is actually a "Falcon" Falcons on the wing have a very pointed wingtip and a rapid, almost hypnotic wing beat.

 

[chickencheeper]

I think what Miss Pony saw is a Sparrow Hawk. Even though it flies under the name of "Hawk" this bird is actually a "Falcon" Falcons on the wing have a very pointed wingtip and a rapid, almost hypnotic wing beat. View attachment 1232898

Sparrow hawk is just another name for a kestrel(the smallest bird of prey) a kestrel is a type of falcon and the American kestrel looks like this:

and the Eurasian kestrel is slightly larger. They are no threat to chickens or even quail. They are roughly the size of mourning doves

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Do not think Eurasian Sparrowhawk's range includes north America.
We do have kestrels in California, but they are distinctive. It is a Sharp-shinned.

 

[chickencheeper]

It could also be a merlin(your bird not OP’s bird)

 

[chickencheeper]

It could also be a merlin(your bird not OP’s bird)