Comparison: Cooper’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk
January 26, 2007Sunday, January 07, 2007
Two of the most common birds of prey in the US and one that was almost wiped out by DDT. It’s amazing to think there were only two breeding pair of peregrines in California around 1968, and they were completely gone east of the Mississippi River at the time.
Today thanks to the efforts of thousands of voluteers and professional biologists, the peregrine is back and going strong again. Which means I get the privilege of photographing them. Here’s a shot of a peregrine in my neighborhood on a steeple a block from my house:
And here is a Red-tailed hawk photo taken a block away from the peregrine on another church steeple:
If you are wondering how I know it is a red-tailed hawk, it’s because of this:
A very nice red (rufus tail)
Finally, here is a shot of a Cooper’s Hawk taken on a tv antenae on the house behind mine:
Notice the banded tail. Rounded end shape is a classic indicator of the Cooper’s and distinguishes it from the Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Many people I meet, when they hear that I photograph peregrines tell me that they have peregrines in their back yard. Most likely, what they are seeing is one of these or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Both these raptors love to haunt bird feeders in the hope of scoring an easy meal. Peregrines on the other hand do not like to land low down on fences like this Cooper’s Hawk shown here on my back fence enjoying a pigeon breakfast.
Comments are welcome here. And if you want to see the whole sequence these shots were taken from, then go to my home site:Raptor-Gallery.com
Then navigate to the diary pages for 2006 and 2007 at the top of the page and look for the new entries at the top of those two pages.
Hope to hear from you and thanks for looking.
Glenn,What kind of camera and lense did you use to shoot the photos of the red tail hawk? Thanks
I’m using the Canon EOS 20D and 30D bodies. The red-tail hawk shots were taken with the 400mm F5.6 lens, some shots I used the extra 1.4x Teleconverter, some were shot without it.
Check out the links on the bottom of this page here:
http://raptor-gallery.com/external_links.html
Please be aware: always (in most areas of the US.) be open-minded toward Northern Goshawks being in areas that contain Cooper’s and S.s. Hawks, or areas containing Red-tailed Hawks and Ravens.Please visit my 3, soon to be 4, blogs – all specifically related only toward Goshawks.Goshawks of Tucson: http://www.goshawksoftucson.blogspot.com – Goshawks of San Diego: http://www.ebrieferaolcom.blogspot.com – Goshawks of Apache Junction:www.goshawkho-nelson.blogspot.com
The best, Nelson
We took a picture of a raptor in our backyard but cannot identify it. I still have difficulty distinguishing between a cooper’s hawk or falcon. I think it resembles your falcon in the top picture. If we sent you the picture, could you identify it for us?
Thanks
we saw and hear what looked like a type of Hawk standing on our barbecue grill. I twas lucking the fathers off something very small- a baby Hawk? do they eat their young and if they dom do they take the feathers off one by one? if anybody knows please e-mail me
Hi Albert,
Hawks come in different sizes, and what you probably saw was a larger hawk eating a smaller bird. In other words, if the prey was a hawk it was most likely a Sharp-shinned Hawk or perhaps a Kestrel. Both can be quite small. And it was being eaten by a larger hawk, say perhaps a red-tailed hawk or similar bird. They do pluck the feathers out before eating.
But no, hawks do not eat their own young.
Again, i will spend 1 month in Apache Junction,AZ. – my second visit. I will be photographing and documenting the goshawks there. Then I will spend the winter-2008-09 in Tucson doing the same. I will be in the sky every day, at times with photographer and Audubon Member Bert Jackson. At other times, i will be with 2 adult birding students- both photographers. I have been told by a Master Falconer that male Northern Goshawks will kill their own young!!
Thanks for the update on Goshawks Nelson. Hope you come back with some good shots.
Hi. Came across your site in my search for ID of a hawk we’ve had visiting our yard. Any chance you could take a look: http://www.gardeness.com/2009/02/oh-sure-now-you-show-up.html
Hi Melanthia,
You captured a nice view of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk
Hi – Curious to find out if you can identify this bird. I’m not sure if it is a hawk or a falcon, but I think there are two in my yard. There are two fairly big nests up in big trees and I think this is the owner.
The hawk/falcon in question is the subject of the 2nd and 3rd picture in this link…
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019479&id=1172045665&l=f8c6b
Hi I was wondering if it possible to have a few raptor species in one area? I have seen red tailed hawks but I believe I have seen falcons as well. I see the raptors outside daily, and have become quite fond of them. We live next to open acres of joshua trees and bushes where lots of cotton tail and jack rabbits breed along with chipmunks,squirrels and field mice. So is it possible to have many species of raptors here.
Hi Collette,
Yes of course, multiple species normally share an area. I’ve seen Red-tail Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks,White-tailed Kites, Northern Harriers and Kestrels all hunting in the same one mile square park before. It is quite common. It does not mean that they all get along, but it is quite the norm.
We lived in Tucson and Phoenix for 12 years – used to go to Ft Lowell park in spring and summmer every weekend or more often. There was what we assumed was a cooper’s hawk nest in the first Eucalyptus on the right all the times we were there. The female was extremely large and they could have been goshawks, although we didn’t think about it then. I have never seen a goshawk close up but in Kansas City have seen a few that should have been. Are they in danger from Redtailed Hawks or it it the other way or do they avoid each other. What about a goshawk / pergrine contest? Thanks
Hi John, thanks for the links.
Re: Goshawks in Ariz. the normal range includes most of the state, so yes you could very well have seen them at Ft. Lowell park.
Red-tails vs. Goshawks. I think they are evenly matched. It really depends on the amount of prey, they could get into a territory dispute, as could Peregrine and Goshawk for that matter. It really is a toss up as to who would win.
PS – I have the Hawk-Interaction list on yahoo but it’s new so don’t have any members yet.
HAWK-INTERACTION@yahoogroups.com
For anyone that is interested – there’s a live Peregrine Nest at this URL in Boise
http://www2.fiberpipe.net/falconcam/live.asp
She’s on eggs – I haven’t seen the male yet – they say the male does NOT feed her until she has 3 eggs. ???
Again, i have observed Goshawks in Apache Junction for a period of one week- in November 2008. I was in the field every day at Southern Ave. very near Iron Wood and the high school. After many hours and 6 days of scanning the sky a male Gos presented. So, there are 3 Goshawks in Apache Junction (in winter). 1 female adult and 2 males. Also, in high desert of Congress, Az., and 6 miles below Congress Goshawks are present. I was scanning there for 2 weeks. Male and female were present. Please- take an interest in raptors as they soar.