[Griz]

This first one is a Red Bellied woodpecker first one I have ever seen here but the hawk has me stumped. I checked my Pa. bird guide and it could be a Coopers or a Sharp Shinned. Anyone know for sure?
The photo is not good. I saw it chasing some songbirds roughly eighty yards away in the treetops and only had time to get a couple of quick shots when he landed for a moment.

Griz

 

[Zimmer50cal]

Nice.

They look VERY similar. Best way to tell: Cooper's Hawk is a crow-sized raptor, sharp-shinned is blue-jay sized.

 

[Griz]

Thanks Zimmer.

That explains it then this guy was Jay sized. He's already whacked several birds around the feeder this winter.

Griz

 

[timberghostacres]

Griz,

thats a fine photo of a Male red bellied. The females red hood does not cover the entire head like the male does.

Coopers hawk and Sharp-shinned are very diffacult to tell apart. I appears to me that the photo is a young Sharp shinned hawk. I believe that it is a yearling due to the color.

timber

 

[TPlank]

Nice pic of the red-bellied. I have them each summer nesting in one of my oaks. Frequent visitors to the suet.

 

[drake88]

A give away that it's a sharp-shinned is the squared tail. A coopers would have a more rounded tail. If you have no size reference that is usually the easiest way to differentiate between the two.

 

[Griz]

T, a lot of folks here have told me they are frequently seen but as I mentioned we had never seen one back my way in over twenty years. I only hope it stays around.
Thanks for the info on the hawk also it is appreciated.

Griz

 

[great white hunter]

Nice!