Expert: Julia Booth - 9/11/2009

Question
QUESTION: My boys and I have seen this bird around.  We are very excited.  However, there is some debate in the neighborhood as to what type of hawk it is.  Can you help us?
Area:  Charlotte, NC

ANSWER: This is really not a high quality enough image for me to give you a 100% accurate ID. Yes, it's a hawk, possibly Coopers or Sharp-Shinned. But from this distance, and its posture, it could also be a Merlin, which is a falcon and not a hawk.

If you could tell me a little bit about its behavior, that could help narrow it down.

Do you see it stalking prey on the ground or does it attack smaller birds? Notice anything about its flight pattern? Does it fly in a straight line or dive?


Need a little more info to be sure,


Julia

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Both times I saw this bird, he was on the ground and then flew to a tree or the fence.  I did not see any other type of flight.  I threw a piece of raw chicken breast on the grass, and when I came outside, it was gone.  Thank you for such a quick response.  My boys are going to be thrilled!

Answer
Still can't tell you for sure. Falcons will eat raw meat. Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks are known for stalking other birds as opposed to prey on the ground.

If you can get better images, let me know. Or consider doing an internet search for those three birds and deciding which you think is closest.

Bear in mind that even really experienced birders can often not differentiate between a Coopers and a Sharp-shinned.


Julia