Manitoba Falcon Cam Forum
News, Videos & Other Webcams => About Birding => Bird ID Help => Topic started by: birdcamfan on April 10, 2009, 13:50
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Hi Tracy. I was wondering if you could help me identify the huge bird on the Elm tree one street over from me. I was going out for a run today and heard what I thought was the neighborhood Merlin. I looked up and saw a much, much larger bird up there shrieking away. I got my binoculars and my Sibley book out. The bird is falcon or hawk shaped and I would estimate to be about twice as big as the Merlin (which was also up in its own favorite spot so I could compare). It is too big to be a Merlin or a Kistrel, and its wing tips do not go right down to the tip of the tail. It has a banded (striped) tail and fluffy speckled chest. I could not make out the head coloring. All I could guess from the book is a Prairie Falcon, Northern Goshawk, or maybe a Coopers Hawk (but it might be a bit big for that). Are there any of these types of birds in Winnipeg right now? I know that Coopers will sit in a tree, do any of these others do that? I know it's hard without a picture, but if you could give me a few other ideas that I could look up, I might be able to ID. The most exciting thing was after watching for about 10 minutes, she stretched open her tail and a male flew in and "visited". She eventually flew off toward the Assiniboine river. I finally went for my downtown run and also saw "someone" sitting on the east side of the Radisson. All in all, an exciting day!
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You could also throw in a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Being close to the river...very possible a Coopers.
Could also just be passing through ??
Sharp-shinned about 10-14in. square tail
Cooper's about 14-20in. rounded tail
Goshawk about 21-26in.
All three birds look much alike.
Don't know if this helps any.
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Great question! Without a photo I can't be sure but I'll make an educated guess and say that it is probably a Cooper's Hawk. Cooper's are 15-20 inches compared with 9-12 of the merlins but they look much bigger to my eye and they do have a clearly visible banded (striped) tail as well as a speckled breast (some more/darker, some less). If the bird were closer to the size of a merlin, I would have said sharp-shinned hawk as they are almost identical to Coopers. There are alot of Coopers nesting in the city over the last couple of years - had 8 calls last year about peregrine falcons (too big for merlins) nesting in trees, only to find happy & healthy Cooper's Hawks. Did you happen to see the colour of it's eyes? Young Cooper's have yellow eyes, adults have red/orange - very cool actually. And yes, they build nests and they like large deciduous trees for their nests.
Northern Goshawks are even larger - actually they are classified as large hawks - and though there are bands on their tail, they are very indistinct, i.e., you mostly don't see them. Prairie Falcons, although we like to think of ourselves as prairie, from the Prairie Falcon's perspective, we really aren't. We get may two sightings a year and since they live/hunt/breed in open areas (dry grasslands and prairies, locally alpine tundra) not in urban/suburban areas, the likelihood of seeing one is actually pretty slim even during migration.
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Would have loved one of Dennis's lenses to see eye colour as well to see the markings on the head. My binocs are not quite up there (time to reinvest). From what you say, my bets are on a Coopers. I have been cooking Paska, beet pickle, perogies, cabbage rolls etc all day watching out the back door to see if there was a return. No luck! I'll keep you posted if they become regular visitors. Thanks for everyone's input.
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Cooper's Hawks. Did you happen to see the colour of it's eyes? Young Cooper's have yellow eyes, adults have red/orange - very cool actually.
Birdcamfan, maybe this link will help you ID the bird.
http://www.pbase.com/photosbydennis/coopers_hawk
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Thanks Dennis. Now I'm sure that's what I saw. These are great pictures, much better than the one's I pulled up off the net! She fanned open her striped tail just like in your photos. It's very distinctive. Thank you for sharing these and all the help that you and TPC have supplied to aid in this identification. It will be very exciting if they decide to spend the summer in our neighborhood.
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Thanks for the info on the Coopers Hawk. It explains why my resident Merlins suddenly looked like they were on steroids. The Coopers have left and the normal sized Merlins are still here...nesting in the neighbors spruce, while a pair of blue jays are nesting in our oak. Makes for some exciting times in the neighborhood! We haven't had squirrels in the yard since the jays started chasing them away from their nest :)
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I only saw the Cooper's in our neighborhood one other time after this sighting. Moved on to greener pastures I guess. Our usual Merlins aren't around this year either although they were here in the winter and early spring. It's funny how the resident population changes from year to year. Some years we have had lots of Jays, the Merlins were around for a number of years, other years Woodpeckers, this year a lot of Gold finches. Does anyone have any ideas why that would be?
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I work at New Flyer in Transcona, where we had a bit of feathered excitement today. The husband of a coworker works in the warehouse. He came in a told her there was a pair of "falcons" in the warehouse and that one of them had flown into a circulating fan up on the ceiling and hurt it's leg. Of course I had to hurry out to see if it could be a peregrine, although I knew in the back of my mind it was highly unlikely. We located the poor thing near the back of the warehouse (meaning as far away from the big open door as possible), sitting up high on one of pipes. It was hard to get a clear view, because it was pretty high up, but I knew right away I wasn't looking at a peregrine, but it did look like it might be a relative of sorts. Anyhoo... I had another coworker take some pictures which I've attached below. They aren't the greatest since the little devil just had to be sitting directly next to a halogen light fixture!
Question to all you bird gurus... can you identify what kind of bird it is?
My husband believes it might be a Sparrow Hawk.
Now the sad part of the story. I called the Widlife Haven and they said there is nothing they can do for a bird who is still flying because they are next to impossible to catch. The guys who work in the warehouse said its leg was pretty damaged. But it was still flying around from pipe to pipe up high in the warehouse. There was no sign of the second one today so it either flew into the main plaint (I HOPE NOT!) or got out the door at some point. I feel terrible, especially with it being a long weekend and all. Not sure if anyone is working there tomorrow (it's possible), but if he doesn't find a way out of the building the poor guy is doomed.
Here are the photos, quality is poor due to the lighting and distance.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/lhodge123/work5.jpg) (http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/lhodge123/work3.jpg) (http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/lhodge123/work2.jpg)
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Leana, can you please email me the original photos or the direct link to the photos in your photobucket account? If I can zoom in a bit better I might be able to answer your question.
I too was called by New Flyer yesterday and we had the same kind of conversation, if the bird is flying, even injured and flying 25' up, there is no way I can catch them. I do know that one of the pest control companies was going to go by after work and see if they could catch them with a net launcher they use for other creatures. I did offer to join the technician but I didn't hear back from him. Might have just been too busy a day for a return phone call or he may have had the situation well in-hand.
I already have requests for information from both wildlife rehab organizations and the pest control company that was called and if I hear anything, I will post it here.
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I looked at the photos and from my guess I would say it is a Northern Goshawk.....
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I emailed you the photos Tracy. Hope you can zoom in on them, the lighting was poor which makes them poor quality to start with.
One of the warehouse guys told me they'd called you but I wasn't sure if he has all this facts right. LOL. Glad to hear they did call you.
I hope you hear what happened. Keep us posted!
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Thanks Leana, your photos were good thank you. I could tell it wasn't a falcon but that left three similar species - one of which I was pretty sure was too large. The three are sharp-shinned, Coopers and Northern Goshawk.
The Goshawk is large, so even though there isn't an easy reference, the bird looked too small and too white on the belly. And the tail end is rounded - Goshawks have very square/flat ended tails.
Sharp-shinned also have squarish tails but the body plumage is more along the lines of Leana's bird but sharpies tend to have a kind of blurred streaking on their breasts. Sharpies have yellow eyes as kids but they aren't the only ones.
My thought is that this is a juvenile Cooper's Hawk based on the size as best as I can estimate, the rounded tail with the white terminal band and the clearly streaked breast markings. Like Sharpies, Coopers too have yellow eyes as juveniles.
Wildlife Haven reports that they haven't received any birds from New Flyer yesterday or today. Will keep you updated.
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Heard back from Praire Wildlife and they haven't received any admissions that would fit the bill so we'll have to wait until Tuesday to hear what the pest control company reports. Hopefully it will be a case of no news is good news.
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Tracy I didn't know where to put this.
She was sitting there when I came home today.
There was a male but I didn't get a good picture of him.
What kind of bird is this?
I have a big feeder in the back with lots and lots of house sparrow.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/Hawk.jpg)
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I'm no expert, but it looks like a Cooper's Hawk to me. :)
Cooper's Hawk
Red eye, Slate gray back, dark gray "cap", Long, thin, rounded, banded tail
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/coopers_hawk/id
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I'm no expert, but it looks like a Cooper's Hawk to me. :)
Cooper's Hawk
Red eye, Slate gray back, dark gray "cap", Long, thin, rounded, banded tail
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/coopers_hawk/id
Depends on the size and tail shape. Adult Coopers and adult Sharp-shinned look the same except that Sharpies are smaller and the tail has a flat/straight terminal end. Can't see the tip of the tail and can't tell the relative size of the bird so it could be either a Coopers as RCF thinks or it could be a Sharpie. Sorry I can't be more help than that. And yes, they both eat birds so that's no help either :)
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Here's another one, not much better. Can't see the tail.
I would say she was over a foot high.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_0097.jpg)
Tracy would this be a juvenile or an adult?
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This is the blurry male. He was pretty big.
Just notice the brave Robin on the shed.
Still not a good picture of the tail.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_0093.jpg)
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Here's another one, not much better. Can't see the tail.
I would say she was over a foot high.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_0097.jpg)
Tracy would this be a juvenile or an adult?
This is an adult
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This is the blurry male. He was pretty big.
Just notice the brave Robin on the shed.
Still not a good picture of the tail.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_0093.jpg)
This image is of a juvenile
I'm still on the fence about the species - the head on the adult is small relative to the body which makes me think its a Sharpie, but the head on the juvenile looks larger and the white at the tail tip is quite broad and visible which could make it a Coopers.
You had both at the same time? or about the same time? If so, then I think I would say Cooper's Hawks ....
not as definitive as you would like I'm sorry ...
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Got another one for you Tracy! :D
This is today. When he/she flew away I checked it's tail and it was white at the tips.
Could this be the male from the other day?
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/Hawk-1.jpg)
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This is the blurry male. He was pretty big.
Just notice the brave Robin on the shed.
Still not a good picture of the tail.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_0093.jpg)
This image is of a juvenile
I'm still on the fence about the species - the head on the adult is small relative to the body which makes me think its a Sharpie, but the head on the juvenile looks larger and the white at the tail tip is quite broad and visible which could make it a Coopers.
You had both at the same time? or about the same time? If so, then I think I would say Cooper's Hawks ....
not as definitive as you would like I'm sorry ...
Tracy the male was sitting on that post and the female was on the bush (first picture I posted) it looked to me like he was watching her. He flew away and she jumped on the grass.
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In both Sharpies and Coopers both genders look the same - the adults are grey backed and red eyed, juveniles are brown and white.
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_0097.jpg) (http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/Hawk-1.jpg)
ADULT JUVENILE
Still not 100% sure of the species, the head on both of these birds seems small in comparison with the body, but it may just be the photo. Until I can see the tail clearly, it's likely a Cooper's since we see alot of them in town but it could be a Sharpie if its smaller than I think
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Whatever they are they are sure handsome looking, sitting there posing for such nice pics.
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They sure are great photos Doreen, whichever species they may be. Lucky you for seeing them! 8)
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Tracy this bird just hit my window, and I sure hope it will be ok.
Could you tell me what kind of bird it is?
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_1188.jpg) (http://s1137.photobucket.com/user/DoreenHebert/media/IMG_1188.jpg.html)
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Well, that looks very much like the birds I've been watching in my back yard! If on the smallish size compared to other hawks, this may be a sharp shinned hawk. If a bit bigger then it may be a Cooper's hawk. Have a look at its tail. If it is flat across that would suggest the sharp shinned, if rounded then more likely a Cooper's. There you have it - the sum total of my hawk identification powers.
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Or maybe it's a merlin! ;D
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I say Merlin. How's it doing?
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Tracy this bird just hit my window, and I sure hope it will be ok.
Could you tell me what kind of bird it is?
(http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n506/DoreenHebert/IMG_1188.jpg) (http://s1137.photobucket.com/user/DoreenHebert/media/IMG_1188.jpg.html)
Cooper is right, without a size reference it is difficult to quickly tell Cooper's Hawks (no relation ;)) from Sharp-shinned Hawks. Looking at the width of the white terminal band on the tail and the size of the feet, I would guess that it is a Cooper's Hawk even though the head looks a bit small. Could be the head looks small because the bird is crouching a bit and looks like it has puffed up its feathers some. Or it could be a pudgy Sharp-shinned ;D
Bird looks alert, both eyes are open, it's not listing to one side and its feet and wings look symmetrical. Also I can't see any blood so I would think the bird's got a good chance. My advice is to leave it totally alone, don't go and check on it. If you have pets, don't let them out.
If you want to check again about 6pm that is fine, by that point it should have taken off or it will be settling down for the night. If you do go check, don't go close, just peak (with binocs if you have them) and leave the bird alone. Depending on how hard a hit, the bird may need a couple of hours of quiet time to reboot.
If the bird is lying down or looks very much NOT like your photo, call MWRO/wildlife haven at (204) 878-3740 get their advice. It is better just to leave the bird alone so getting expert advice on whether to approach a potentially injured animal should always be the first course of action. If the bird is injured likely it will end up at MWRO so always nice to get their help right from the start.
Hope this helps.
TPC
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Or maybe it's a merlin! ;D
I say Merlin. How's it doing?
Sorry, definitely not a merlin ... :) ... not even a falcon.
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I think I found a picture of it on the internet, called a sharp shinned..
Look up google under birds with striped tails..and look there...I am not sure but they look the same beak and tail.
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Thank you Tracy for all the info. When I checked he/she was no where to be seen.
Hopefully it flew away and is ok.
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I think I found a picture of it on the internet, called a sharp shinned..
Look up google under birds with striped tails..and look there...I am not sure but they look the same beak and tail.
Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks are very hard to distinguish one from another - size is the easiest/fastest way but barring that, you have to check tail shape, tail band sizes and colours, size of head, size of feet and legs, minor plumage variations in the adults, etc. For juveniles, it gets worse because young Northern Goshawks also look like Sharp-shinneds and Cooper's.
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Thank you Tracy for all the info. When I checked he/she was no where to be seen.
Hopefully it flew away and is ok.
Glad to hear that the bird most likely recovered and flew away, Doreen.