More on lanky

All three female accipiters can have somewhat long wings. When the wings are extended fully outward and flat the wings can appear lanky. The leading edge and the trailing edge are are quite straight and meet at the tip. The tip is now rounded, or sharply rounded, or oval shaped. Therefore, lanky- looking. This is not what is meant by the Cooper’s hawk looking lanky. All three accipiters (females) can now be called lanky, because of the long tail and the nearly- long or long- looking wing.

We can also say that the stubbier the wing (The male), the more the hawk will appear lanky. Now we are concerned with the entire length of the hawk. The accipiter with the longest tail on average, is the Cooper’s hawk. The accipiter with the longest wing is the Sharp- shinned hawk (female). Some books will say the NG (female). I say the NG is basically a Sharp- shinned hawk. They are made from the same mold— Nature’s mold. There is only one main difference— Size. I am not the only one who thinks in this direction. Another difference is that some Sharp- shinned hawks (SSHA) do have a waist.

So, here is the gist of being lanky. Authorities say the body of the Cooper’s hawk (COHA) is tubular and the tail is long. I say— add in the waist to the evaluation. And that is what is meant by the COHA  as being lanky.

Also, the chest of the NG is robust, and of course, the SSHA. So we can compare robust to tubular. But, watch out! In winter, the COHA can take- on a robust chest.

I am going to add this to the equation. When you think of SSHA or COHA, you should never leave out Northern Goshawk! NB.