A Coopers Hawk, Not a Northern Harrier ( a bit of a heavy crop)

[bulldurham]

 

[squirl033]

Good shots, but I don't think that's a harrier - unless harriers in Florida are completely different from the ones we get here! This one lacks the facial "disc" that makes harriers so distinctive, the beak is the wrong color (harriers beaks are yellow at the base), and it's much too white on the underside - harriers are mostly reddish-gold brown with brown streaking. Also, the underside of the harrier's tail has only two broad, dark bands, not 4 narrow ones...

 

[john.margetts]

To me, it looks like a female hen harrier (which has four tail stripes) but I am in Europe and we do not have Northern Harriers, just Marsh, Hen and Montigue's Harriers.

 

[zombiesniper149 14]

Great shots but agree it's not a northern. Could be a Coopers Hawk.

 

[Didereaux]

yep, on no it's not a female Northern Harrier. To me it is most probably a youngish Red-tailed. One indicator is the large number of bands, leg and lore color, and eye color. Beautiful shots though.

 

[bulldurham]

I had fits with this one and I do believe it is indeed a Coopers Hawk. There were a lot of Northern Harriers flitting about and someone else called it out, My bad for not checking it out more thoroughly. This morning's search revealed it to either be a Coopers or a Sharp Shinned but the Sharp Shinned has a red eye and not yellow. Thus, while I wanted a Northern Harrier, what I got was a nice Coopers. That's for pointing out the ID on this one.

 

[jcdeboever]

Nice set

 

[MSnowy]

Nice!

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice set but not harrier possible coopers hawk

 

[squirl033]

Yup, looks like an immature Cooper's. The eye will turn to deep red-orange as it matures. The rounded tail is the best clue that it's a Cooper's - sharpies have a more squared tail in flight.

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

You could call it a pie-eyed grebe and they'd still be nice pics! You have been busy!

 

[Didereaux]

I had fits with this one and I do believe it is indeed a Coopers Hawk. There were a lot of Northern Harriers flitting about and someone else called it out, My bad for not checking it out more thoroughly. This morning's search revealed it to either be a Coopers or a Sharp Shinned but the Sharp Shinned has a red eye and not yellow. Thus, while I wanted a Northern Harrier, what I got was a nice Coopers. That's for pointing out the ID on this one.

Nope. Ya GOT to look at the number of bands on the tail !!!!!!!!!!! This is always aproblem with immatures. The Red-tails have almost an infinite variety of plumage at various stages....but the tail banding is consistent. As is the lore, legs, and eye color.


But then again I have a pretty dam good record of being wrong on bird ID's.