Without seeing the tail, there's no way I'd be able to tell if this is a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned. To me, it looks like a Cooper's, but I'm not 100% sure. If you can see the deep red eyes, that shows that this is an adult.

Oh I have lots of pictures of it but I wasn't sure how to post more than one at a time ?? I'll try to post another that shows the tail though. :-) Joanne

Beautiful photo. My National Geographic bird guide states that the sharp-shinned lacks the Cooper's strong contrast between the crown and back. Which would indicate that this could be a sharp-shinned. Or not.

-flighty; the "or not" statement at the end of your observation characterizes you as an expert hawk watcher; TawnyOwl, who is a raptor specialist, qualifies her observation with "I'm not 100% sure; -the most important underlying message in the following two books was that " even veteran observers do not always agree and try not to rely on one or two field marks". -interesting books on this very difficult identification problem are: "Hawks in Flight", Dunne, Sibley and Sutton 1989; "Advanced Birding", Kaufman, Peterson Field Guides, 1990

Exactly. It's extremely difficult to tell the difference between the two. The tail is one of the most reliable mark, but the only sure-fire way to identify them, is to catch them up and weigh and measure them. You just have to take an educated guess in the field.

Not sure how to comment to individual here.... well I'll figure this out eventually! :-) Flighty - yes, it sure is hard to tell a sharpie and a coopers..... this one was..... well, the size of a male coopers, or a female sharpie! I went by the roundness of the tail in flight actually..... but I've read that about the head too..... sometimes it's pretty hard to tell, that's for sure! TawhyOwl15 - absolutely so true! I'll post another tail picture... looks pretty rounded. I was thinking coopers when I was taking the pictures so I called it a coppers - ha ha! But then I sent the pictures off to a few people.... one is my Dad who's a falconer.. and to 2 other falconers and they all said coopers so I called it a coopers. ha ha! joanne

-I'm staying out of this one! -a quote from "Hawks in Flight", Dunne, Sibley and Sutton: "Auguments about identification of accipiters may well account for more broken friendships and more failed marriages between hawk watchers than all other causes combined"!! HA!! :):)

-my spelling again! "Arguments"; apologies to the authors; the "u" isn't even close to the "r"!

Ha ha - so very true that is Jim!!! :-) Joanne

Well, if three falconers all say Cooper's, then I'm more inclined to take their side. Like Jim has said, and like every experienced birder knows, it's NOT easy to tell the difference between the two. I've been a raptor specialist for who knows how long, and I've studied birds for my entire life (my first words being Blue Jay and Robin). There are many ways of distinguishing the two, and I think that unless the bird matches all of the criteria, it's impossible! Jim--As for the spelling mistake, were you by any chance thinking of "Augur Buzzards"? :).

Lol.... well one of those falconers (my Dad) actually said sharpie..... but when he saw more of the photos, then he said "hmmmm...... maybe...."..... so...... I guess it's a coopers - ha ha! One said if I would just shoot it then we could know for sure..... ha ha! Funny how with some birds over the years, they have morphed 2 or more breeds and called them one (like juncos - and they LOOK different!) and with others, they have split them up into seperate breeds, like the pacific slope and cordilleran flycatchers.... I think the only way to tell THOSE apart is by a slight variation in the song of the male or something like that - sheesh! I guess with some you can tell by range-maps.... "well it lives here, so it's a so-and-so" , etc... sure makes things more difficult that's for sure! I also grew up with birds my entire life (first words robin and stellar's jay - lol - other side of the rockies) and was expected to be able to identify birds from every angle before I could walk - lolol - but have been away from that for 25 yrs - my parents would be horrified if they knew just how much I have forgotten now!! Living in the middle of the city now (and on the other side of the rockies from where I learned stuff) , and raising kids, etc.... I've just gotten away from it. Well..... I know it wasn't a merlin - ha ha ha! Joanne

Ahh so. Yes we would know for sure if you shot it! But thankfully it's illegal, or we'd lose all of our Cooper's or Sharpies to birders that couldn't identify them! I'm not a falconer, but I have taken the test (100% I might add), and I do know quite a few falconers (most of them of the Master class). I've lived and breathed birds since the day I was born. The only few types of birds I've had problems with, are Vireos, Flycatchers, and Warblers. The reason for that being I'm colorblind! I can identify most, but when it comes down to identifying them by slight color variations, I can't do it easily. When I go out birding, I have to look at everything BUT color ;). Yes, it was definitely not a Merlin ;).

Wow..... what an extra challenge you have being colourblind - that's amazing that you can distinguish birds!! So I guess you didn't think it was similar to the eurasian eagle-owl then.... lol... they eyes are the same colour. :-) joanne

It is an extra challenge! I've often wondered how much easier birding would be, if almost every bird didn't look silhouetted. I can see color patterns, like when some colors stop, and where others begin. I have raised MANY Eurasian Eagle Owls (not to mention lost a lot of blood to them!!) they are such incredible birds! Being there from the moment they hatch, and then watching them grow up until they're fully feathered, is one of the most amazing moments ever!

wow.... that sure is an extra challenge! So often I go by colours, not just patterns of shades. How incredible that you have raised eurasian eagle owls!! They're just beautiful - I've only seen them in the zoo. IT's their eye colour.... amazing! Exactly the same shade of orange as my coopers/sharpie was (at that moment of his life anyway!) which is why I made a comparison..... the orange was exactly the same bright shade! Not a usual eye-colour.... I was amazed at the similarity. :-) Joanne