ALPINE NATURE CENTER

Cooper's or SHarp-shinned hawk?

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How to tell a cooper's hawk from a sharp-shinned Hawk

One of the nice things about trees with no leaves is that it is easier to see the birds in the trees. One of the birds we have found in Lambert Park is a Cooper's Hawk. Another is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Sharpie). They are both medium sized hawks that are so similar that even experts have a hard time telling them apart! With the help if iNaturalist web site, we've been able to find and identify one of each right here in Alpine.

The Cooper's Hawk is more barrel chested and has a more rounded tip of the tail, where as the Sharpie has a narrower body below the waist and a squared off tail tip. The Cooper has sturdy legs, while the Sharpie has thin "bird legs." The eyes are closer to the beak in the Cooper, and more centered in the Sharpie. The juveniles have yellow eyes and the adults have red eyes in both species. There are many websites that try to help tell the difference between these birds. Although these two birds have been verified by iNaturalists experts, we're not sure we believe them. Maybe you have an opinion and would like to give us your thoughts...
Cooper's Hawk (left) and Sharp-Shinned Hawk specimins at Monte L. Bean museum
Cooper's Hawk
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
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  • Home
  • About
    • Volunteer
  • Wildlife
    • Birds >
      • Birds in the Wild >
        • Water Birds
        • Raptors
        • Other Birds
      • Alpine Bird Watchers
      • Aviary
      • Feed the Birds
      • Fat Robins in Spring
      • Two Doves
      • Who's That Knocking?
    • Mammals
    • Reptiles
    • Insects >
      • Insects Identification
      • Tarantula Time!
    • Living with Wildlife
    • Circle of Life
    • Deer Doo
  • Plants
    • Flowers >
      • Blue Flowers
      • Pink Flowers
      • Purple Flowers
      • Red Flowers
      • White Flowers
      • Yellow Flowers
      • Orange Flowers
    • Trees, Bushes and Brush >
      • Trees, Bushes and Brush ID
      • Acorn Bonanza
      • Box Elder Boys and Girls
      • Rabbit vs Sage
      • Juniper Differences
      • Mountain Mahogany
      • White Fir Trees
    • Grasses
    • Invasive Species
    • Fall Colors
    • It's A Mystery Plant
  • Open Spaces
    • Trails >
      • Trail Maps
      • Alpine Nature Hikes
      • Bonneville Shoreline Trail
      • Miles of Trails
      • Three Mines Trail
      • Water Tour
    • Alpine Mountains >
      • Mountain Panoramas
      • East Mountain Boulders
      • Penumbra
      • Glaciers, Lakes and Earthquakes
    • Stewardship >
      • Fire
      • Stewardship Projects
      • Winter Range Planting
      • Deer Guzzler
    • Arboretum
    • Uses
  • Activities
  • What's in Bloom
  • What's New!
  • Who Knew?
    • In Memory - Judy Bush
    • Invasion of the Box Elder Bugs!
    • Leaves Not Leaving
    • Running Waters
    • Missing in Action?
    • Sunflowers and the Sun
    • Cooper or Sharpie?
    • People
    • Who Knew? Archive - 2
    • Who Knew? Archive - 1