Cooper's or Sharp-shinned?

It's an Accipiter, but is it a Cooper's hawk or a sharp-shinned hawk? It's one of the hardest bird IDs to make in our area. The mature birds have gray backs, the juveniles have brown backs, so there can be some confusion there.  

Cooper's are bigger but size is hard to determine and you usually do not get a good or close look. It's fleeting at best. These two Accipiters have extra long tails, that's the first thing you notice. Then quickly look at the end of the tail. A Cooper's is rounded, a sharpie's is blunt. 

Finally, if at all possible you note the back of the head and neck: the bird's nape. Like Barb Yoakum's photo clearly shows, the sharpie's nape is the same dark gray as the top of the head. The inset of the Cooper's illustrates that the nape is lighter than the top of the head. It looks like the Cooper's is wearing a cap or at least a toupée. 

Thanks for the photo, Barb. And thank you for attending my talk at Wild Birds Unlimited yesterday.



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