Young Red-tail in the MBTA Station? The Cooper's Waits for the Sparrows

Photograph by Donna Browne
This is a young Red-tailed Hawk. In fact she's a fledgling from the nest of Isolde and the late Tristan at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Take her in. Look at her carefully.


Photograph by Donna Browne
This is a young Cooper's Hawk that I photographed in Wisconsin back in 2007. Look at her carefully as well.

That done. On to something else to look at.

Here is an news article and video, from 7NEWSwhdh Boston, sent in by Robin of Illinois, link below--

BOSTON -- Animal rescue workers got a bird’s eye view of a South Boston MBTA station all because of a hawk’s new found home.

A young red-tailed hawk perches on a pipe in the Andrew Square T station, even as hundreds of commuters pass through the station daily.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12002929102294/a-hawk-takes-up-home-in-an-mbta-station
You may have to copy and paste the link because of length.

BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER , CLICK ON THE LINK AND WATCH THE VIDEO. WE'RE GOING TO WANT YOUR OPINION IN A MOMENT.

**************************************************************************When The next I looked in my email box, there was a forwarded email from rehab volunteer Sally of Kentucky, who said--

It's a Cooper's I think, certainly not a redtail. Poor baby!

After some discussion about the differences in adult and juvenile Cooper's Hawks, Robin agreed.

What do you think?

As for me, I'm going for a juvenile Accipiter, as well. Not a Red-tail.

-Why?

Look at the top photograph of the young Red-tail. Her breast is clear down to the belly band.

Look at the photograph of the young Cooper's Hawk and that of the bird in the video, they both have streaks up to their necks.

Interesting that there were falconers on the spot in Boston, who didn't catch what Sally did. Or perhaps they caught it, but the reporter didn't get the message.

Speaking of Accipiters, I looked out my back door yesterday and this is what I saw.


A young Cooper's Hawk (still light eyed, and brown toned) sitting on my pile of twigs that earlier this year had been the building materials for the Big Nest. That is until about 100 House Sparrows moved in for the winter.

Young Cooper's Hawk decides to ignore me, distracted perhaps by movement deep in the twigs.

I'd been wondering why I'd been having so few visitors to the feeders since I'd returned to Wisconsin. Young hawk here could well be the reason.

Then after staring fixedly in a different spot, she looked back at me as I tried to set up to digiscope inside by the patio door. Then she flew to the big nest and off into the trees.

Today once again I noted absolutely no business at my bird feeders. When I went outside with a bucket of water for the bird bath, a Cooper's Hawk flew from the near left Spruce in the yard into the big Spruce on the far deep right and disappeared into the branches.

I immediately went out to look if I could spy her amongst the needles. Not a feather could I see. Either it was too dim or she'd pulled a fast one on me and flown directly out the back side of the tree without stopping.

Donna Browne