Description

Acted like a sharpshinned (which I’ve seen in the past but not this year so far) i.e. flew to ground by bushes and went in after birds hiding there, agile low flight manoeuvering around low tree branches, taller than a sharpshinned but not as big as a red tail, thinner than the picture of the goshawk in the guide, had juvenile markings of a clean white breast with clear demarcated brown streaks running down whole front, dark back (no white) with laterally dark striped tail. Seen from 20 feet for about a minute, with and without binoculars, saw it at a distance soaring (small compared to the usual redtails / eagles) or perching (notably thin and erect, longish neck)over the past couple weeks.

Species

• Cooper's Hawk