Large Cooper’s Hawk

 A large female Cooper’s Hawk (COHA) went to perch near my house. It was female and mature.  The date will be on the photo. I caught a few of the last flaps as the hawk went to perch. The hawk appeared in flight and perched to be a goshawk. In other words the hawk was too large to be a female COHA. My analysis: tail appeared short, probably NG. The bird was large, NG. The chest and belly were ticked red, COHA, but, that is not enough info for me. The chest was robust, NG. Now I had to concentrate on the head. The head was turning over the right and left shoulder, indicating COHA, but the head was not snapping into positions, maybe not COHA. The head appeared to be small and round, NG. Now, I had to concentrate on the facial markings. The facial field marks were of a COHA. I was of the opinion that a COHA is a COHA. That there was no such thing as a large COHA, or a huge COHA. So, now when some person reports a large COHA, I will be open to the suggestion.

Last winter, in the same location, was a perched accipiter with a robust chest and the hawk appeared large, for a COHA. But, it was a COHA. It flew of over head in level and downward flight. Then it lowered altitude and went into trees and shrubs about a hundred yards away. The last few wing beats were some what sloppy, and uncoordinated. Typical COHA.

In this photo, I initially was not in the best position to photo the chest. So I adjusted my position to get closer and to observe the chest and that was where the the sun light was— on the front of the hawk. The lens was at two- thousand mm. Actually I was too close or to near to being somewhat   under the hawk. Have you ever observed a photo of a group of birders at the base of a telephone pole, with them all looking up with their cameras and binoculars. Looking at an owl or hawk? Well, that is the worst position to be in to observe. They should back off, back away. Because you will get a distorted look at the size and shape of the head. Also, the size and shape  of the eye will be attenuated. And the top of the head, the color and pattern will not be visible. NB.

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