Date: 11/10/25 6:54 am From: Ryan Phillips <norcalbirding...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Coopers/Sharp-Shinned?
Check out other features which are less subjective than size and tarsi
width, as well as less overlap between the two species. The fine teardrop
streaking on the front, the blocky large headed appearance, the eye set
forward on the head (sharpie centered), the larger bill, etc. Tail shape
you cannot go by here because the central tail feathers (deck feathers) are
flared out hiding the outer tail feathers that give the graduation rounded
look. All point to Cooper's.
Also, habitat and behavior, although not diagnostic especially this time of
year, fits better for Coop.
Things is a continued and long ongoing debate, Coop vs Sharpie. ha.
Good birding,
Ryan
*Ryan Phillips* ǀ Owner and Guide
Personal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
"Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes
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- Sir David Attenborough
On Sun, Nov 9, 2025, 10:00 PM Melanie Wirtanen <mkwirtanen...> wrote:
>
> Interesting comparison! Thank you so much for your message.
>
> They said smaller than a crow so I went to Sharpie.
> Also the tarsus, you can see in that one photo where it is erect is very
> thin and delicate. If it is a Coop it’s a male for sure. I recently held a
> female juvenile Coop and she was way bigger than this bird, beyond usual
> comparison to the tiercel.
>
> Learn something new every day!
>
> Take care,
> Melanie
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Nov 9, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Mark Chappell <markchappell666...>
> wrote:
> > Cooper’s, I think. Note facial ‘expression’ — one characteristic I’ve
> sometimes found useful is that sharp-shinned hawks usually look bug-eyed,
> or startled; Cooper’s tend to look angry or mean. I think this is may be
> due to a somewhat more prominent brow ridge on Cooper’s. Male sharpies are
> fairly easy to ID from size alone: barely bigger than robins.
> >
> > Juvenile female and adult male sharp-shinned:
> >
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> > <Sharp-shinned hawk 0031.jpg>
> > <sharp-shinned hawk005.jpg>
> >
> >
> >
> > Female Cooper’s juvenile:
> >
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> > <Cooper's hawk 0027.jpg>
> >
> >
> >> On Nov 9, 2025, at 2:31 PM, <edaveclark...> wrote:
> >>
> >> We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with
> her phone against her binoculars.
> >> Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it
> near a crow and it was smaller than the crow.
> >> Thanks for the help.
> >>
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> >> <hawk 1.jpg><hawk 2.jpg><hawk 3.jpg>
> >
> > _________________________________
> > Mark Chappell email: <markchappell666...>
> > Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (Emeritus)
> > University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
> > work website:
> https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/chappell > > photography website:
> http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/index.html > >
> >
> >
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