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Posted by Robin Diaz on 12:28:51 10/28/08
In Reply to: Followup Question posted by Danielle
Congratulations on your Cooper's Hawk. Your photograph shows several features that separate perched Cooper's from Sharp-shinned Hawk. Some field marks present: the flat head is evident in your photo; the eye is placed more in the middle of the head rather than close to bill, as with Sharp-shinned; the tear-drop shaped markings only extend to belly, while Sharp-shinned streaking extends through the lower belly, giving sharpies a darker ventral look while in flight. Not seen in your photo, but a key field mark on perched Cooper's Vs. Sharp-shinned is the leg size. Jeff Bouton's pretzel stick (Sharp-shinned) Vs. pretzel rod (Cooper's) comparison is excellent.
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