D. August Baertlein - Writer & Ruminator
  • Home
  • My Books
  • Book Reviews
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Contact

Which Hawk Is It? Cooper's? Red-Tail?

2/13/2020

Comments

 
Picture

     When training to be a docent in California, I was told that if you see a soaring hawk and you claim it's a Red-Tailed, you have an 80% chance of being right. Audubon says Red-Tailed Hawks are the most widespread and familiar hawk in America.

     Still, I'm going with Cooper's Hawk for this guy or gal (above and below), who chased a scrub jay into our oak bushes a couple of weeks ago. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's page on hawks and eagles supports this, saying that Red-Tailed Hawks soar, while the longer tailed, shorter winged Cooper's hawk tends to hunt in dense cover, relying on speed and surprise.
​
Picture

     The yellow-barred chest, seen clearly in the top photo, really matches the Cooper's Hawk pictures on the All About Birds website.

     In case you're on the edge of your seat regarding the poor scrub jay—A few minutes later he zipped away, the hawk fast on his heels. (Do birds have heels?) ​ I can't say that he escaped unharmed, nor can I say that the hawk managed to eat and live another day. And I'm not sure which to hope for. I guess it's best to leave it up to Mother Nature.
​
Picture

     This guy (photos above and below) landed a our boulder momentarily in July of 2018. I'm going with Cooper's Hawk again, based on the long tail and the fact that he was hanging around our scrubby oak chaparral. 

Picture

     Oooops. He caught me staring!
​
Picture

     The lovely fellow in the awful picture above was a LOOOONG way away, perched high on an antenna at Sunset Point rest area on the way to Phoenix in late January of this year. While I can't see the color of his tail, I'm going with Red-Tailed on this one for two reasons: 1) That tail looks shorter to me, more like that of the broad-winged, shorter tailed soaring hawk, and 2) He's sitting high up and scanning a more open hunting ground.

     But hawk identification is not my strong suit. So, PLEASE, help me out if you know better! There's always Red-Shouldered, Sharp-Shinned, Swainson's, Harris's, and Harrier.
​
Comments

    Author

    I made a career of writing software by day while scribbling stories by night, a combo made even odder by the fact that I started my adult life as a marine biologist/geneticist. 

    I got my Ph.D. ever so long ago, but I still love science, especially the biological variety. Now I write SciFi and Fantasy that's full of it.  Science, I mean.


    ​Subscribe

    Subscribe


    Blogs I love

    _Nathan Bransford
    Anne R.Allen
    Shrinking Violets Promotions
    Siri Weber Feeney 
    Lynn Becker Books 
    Terry Pierce
    Jean Ann Williams
    CSPerryess
    Goodreads
    Writer's Guide to E-Publishing
    Science News
    Discover Magazine
    Scientific American
    Goodreads with Ronna


    Archives

    September 2022
    July 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    January 2019
    October 2017
    March 2017
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    January 2013
    October 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from dedhed1950, ScottM70, peru, lili eta marije, erin_everlasting, timparkinson, allspice1