Cooper’s hawk and Sharp-Shinned hawk are one of the most common accipters found in the US. These sort of ‘backyard’ birds however can be very challenging to ID. But with some of the common field ID marks, this could be less hectic than it usually is.
Cooper’s hawk are slightly longer (16.5”) than Sharp-Shinned Hawk (11”), however even Cooper’s are almost 6 inches bigger than Sharpies, without these birds side by side this field mark can be hard to use in the field where you see them for a brief second or two. One of the most common field-marks that you usually find online is that of the difference between the tails in these two similar species.
Sharp Shinned Hawk. Photo credit: Vickie Anderson
Cooper’s hawk. Photo credit: Brendan Klick
While resting (or in flight) the tail on Sharp-Shinned appears squared in shape compared to that of the Cooper’s rounder appearance. Even in flight, the tail in Sharp-Shinned seems shorter and square shaped compared to a rounder and longer rounded tail in Cooper’s hawk. While talking about the tail, the tail tip on Coooper’s hawk has a wider white tip compared to a smaller or a narrow tail tip.
Another really good field mark can be the positioning of the eye, in Cooper’s eyes appear to be closer to the beak whereas in Sharp-Shinned eyes appear to be more centered.
While in flight, the head in Sharp-Shinned appears small in relation to the overall body. Cooper’s hawk in flight will have a larger head (more pronounced) in relation to the body. The wings on Sharp-Shinned appeared more ‘pushed forward’ whereas in Cooper’s it appears almost straight. Also, look for a wider white band on the tail tip on Coopers during flight.
Sharp-Shinned Hawk. Photo credit: Bonnie Ott
Cooper’s Hawk. Photo credit: Jean-Sebastian Mayer
Juveniles of these species can be really hard to identify, however, juvenile Cooper’s hawks have thin dark stripes compared to coarse brown streaks on Sharp-Shinned hawks. Note the yellow eyes on the juvenile compared to the redder eyes on the adult. The head on Sharp-Shinned appears small and more grayish, however, Cooper’s hawk has a more orange-buffish head.
One of the un-missable fieldmark that I have noticed/learned for adult Cooper’s and Sharp-Shinned hawk are the difference in coloration in the head.
The head of Sharp-Shinned hawk appears as if it’s wearing a ‘Hoodie’ whereas Cooper’s hawk looks like it’s wearing a ‘Beret’.
Cooper’s Hawk. Photo credit: Ivan Lipton
Sharp-Shinned Hawk. Photo credit: David McQuade
I hope this was useful and you will be able to tell the difference between these common backyard hawks when you see one the next time.