Date: 1/8/26 11:08 am From: Daniel Getman <000003a484abda6a-dmarc-request...> Subject: A different hawk today in the yard
No wonder the birds are skittish in our yard and are often gone for long periods of time.
This rainy morning we had another hawk, different from the other day, visit our yard.
I'm not sure if it's a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk, but I lean towards a Sharp-shinned. It is definitely an immature bird. If anyone wants to venture an opinion, please reply to me with your rationale. Personally, I’m leaning towards a Sharp-shinned because of the cap extending down the back of the neck, but the legs looks quite a big stockier than the thin legs of a Sharpie. Also the behavior of flying around the bush is what I’ve typically observed for a Sharpie. I don’t have a good photo of the tail.
I initially saw it on a branch of the river birch and I grabbed my camera. It then jumped to a higher branch and sat there, looking around, for a good 20 minutes. It them jumped down to the feeders and then flew round a dense bush where birds had taken shelter and then landed atop the bush.
Rather than fly around the bush and try to get at them, which is quite typical behavior, this bird literally went deep into the bush after the birds. It was unsuccessful and emerged again, perched for short time, then flew away. I’ve never seen a haw in our yard go deeply into that bush after a bird. It went a good 18-24 inches in.
Photos can be viewed at: flicker.com/photos/dgetman/sets
Dan Getman, Kirksville, northeast MO
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