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What bird is this? - Southwestern United States
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ElectricEelPoweredAxe piefed.social ElectricEelPoweredAxe@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-02
(edited) Quote

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Noticed this bird the other day and just wanted to know what it was

Update: Thanks for all the responses looks like its a coopers hawk.

25   Original
SGforce lemmy.ca SGforce@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2023-07-01
#2 · Quote Reply

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_falcon#Subspecies

That body pattern is pretty distinct.

1
southsamurai (he/him/pronoun agnostic) sh.itjust.works southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-06-19
#3 · (edited) Quote Reply

I think it's a red tailed hawk. My eyes suck though, and the pic is blurry and lacks enough resolution to zoom in well (not complaining, you take the shots you get; just explaining why my id is dubious).

It's got the right coloration though, and the belly matches

6
Catoblepas lemmy.blahaj.zone Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2023-06-13
#4 · (edited) Quote Reply

I think it's a red tailed hawk. My eyes suck though, and the pic is blurry and lacks enough resolution to zoom in well (not complaining, you take the shots you get; just explaining why my id is dubious). It's got the right coloration though, and the belly matches

I was just going to guess Cooper’s hawk! To my eye the legs could be thinner and the eyes could be buggier for a sharpie. But Cooper or sharpie is an eternal debate, and I’m not confident enough to be definitive either.

E: apparently I need to get my eyes checked, because I thought you said sharp shinned hawk…

8
Jerb322 lemmy.world Jerb322@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-01
#5 · (edited) Quote Reply

The sharply hooked bill suggests a Kite to me. Maybe not this one, the more I look at it, but some kind of Kite.

https://share.google/images/RQKy0d6ESOfaQL8xB

0
nocturne slrpnk.net nocturne@slrpnk.net
Joined: 2025-06-13
#6 · (edited) Quote Reply

I was just going to guess Cooper’s hawk! To my eye the legs could be thinner and the eyes could be buggier for a sharpie. But Cooper or sharpie is an eternal debate, and I’m not confident enough to be definitive either. E: apparently I need to get my eyes checked, because I thought you said sharp shinned hawk…

I am going with a Cooper's Hawk.

9
southsamurai (he/him/pronoun agnostic) sh.itjust.works southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-06-19
#7 · Quote Reply

I am going with a Cooper's Hawk.

I think you nailed it!

3
southsamurai (he/him/pronoun agnostic) sh.itjust.works southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-06-19
#8 · (edited) Quote Reply

I was just going to guess Cooper’s hawk! To my eye the legs could be thinner and the eyes could be buggier for a sharpie. But Cooper or sharpie is an eternal debate, and I’m not confident enough to be definitive either. E: apparently I need to get my eyes checked, because I thought you said sharp shinned hawk…

I brain farted while typing. I had gone and looked at reference images, and lingered over several nice pics of sharp shins, so fucked up when I came back lol. Went to check and make sure I hadn't screwed up words and I screwed up something worse ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Reason I went with red tail over Cooper's is the way the tail looks. When they cross into that zone between juvenile and adult, I've seen both pics and wild ones have that kind of banding.

But you're right, I would never be able to visually discern between a sharp shin and a Cooper's. We never get them around here, so my only exposure is photos.

Edit: nocturne posted a comment below yours with a better reference than I found, and I think I was way off. Almost definitely a Cooper's

4
ElectricEelPoweredAxe piefed.social ElectricEelPoweredAxe@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-02
#9 · Quote Reply

I am going with a Cooper's Hawk.

Yep it looks exactly pike the middle one!

1
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