You are here:

Birding/What kind of Hawk is this?

Advertisement

Expert: Julia Booth - 11/20/2009


Question

hawk
I saw this hawk for the second time this week in our neighbor's lemon tree.  He was being harassed by a group of black hawks and he was about the same size as them.  Lots of song birds nest in the tree but I am not sure if he has now taken up residence there.

Answer
Looks like a Cooper's Hawk. They are known for biting off more that they can chew in regards to taking on larger birds. They also prey on smaller birds. So your tree there is going to be like a buffet for him.

There is a very slight chance that this might be the VERY similar in appearance Sharp-shinned Hawk. But The Cooper's Hawk is more abundant in number.

Hope this helps,


Julia
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentThanks for your quick, knowledgeable answer. I meant to say the hawk was being chased by black crows not black hawks!


  • Ask a Question

Julia Booth

Expertise

I can answer questions about bird identification (by sight or sound), behavior, distribution, population, conservation, mating, nesting, fledging and feeding. I do have some practical knowledge about foreign species, but identification skills are limited in that arena. Bear in mind that as much as I know, it's possible that at least some of you will ask a question that I am unable to answer. At which point I would direct you to wherever or whomever I thought could provide you with that information.

Experience

I have 15 years birding experience in Southern California.

Organizations
Audubon Society

Education/Credentials
My education is in art and photography -but I have a substantial portfolio of nature related work.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.