[CT Birds] Goshawk??

[Clay Taylor]

Hi Donna -

The back shot shows an easy ID feature - a Goshawk would have definite thin
white lines that divide the dark tail bands from the lighter tail color -
it's like the tail was "pinstriped".    Your photo does not show this, so
you can stop right there, but other marks are -

The tail bands in a Gos form a "chevron" on each feather, and thus a zig-zag
pattern on the spread tail - Coop has a smooth banding
Coop has its outer tailfeather markedly shorter than the central feathers
(that's what gives it the "rounded" look), sharpie and Gos are more even
lengths
Coops have the wide white terminal band on the tail that is easily
noticeable in the field in fall and winter.   By spring, it gets worn away,
so is harder to see on flying birds.    When we used to band hawks at Hammo,
the Coop white tip averaged between 8mm and 14mm, while a Sharpie's white
tail tip was usually 2mm to about 5mm.

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at att.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sunshine" <sunny19682 at comcast.net>
To: <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 3:20 PM
Subject: [CT Birds] Goshawk??


>
> Just when I feel pretty confident identifying Coopers vs Sharp-shinned,
here
> comes this guy in my yard.  I'd seen one like it last year and that bird
was
> called a Goshawk by some online birding folks.  I apologize now for the
> quality of the images - digiscoped through the window on an angle - poor
> lighting and focus - they are so poor I am really ashamed to submit them.
> However, they do show the marks I noticed - light/white supercillium
> streaks, tail feathers are notably round, primaries have dark barring on
> them, and the breast has thinner darker streaking - body shape seems like
a
> Coopers to me.  Breast is very light and not buffy colored as Sibley
notes.
> Size is comparable to a female Coopers.
>
> Pictures posted here:  http://community.webshots.com/user/arcadian7
>
> Any thoughts to give a proper ID to this bird?
>
>
> Donna Lorello
> Branford
>
>
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