How to Tell the Difference between a Cooper's Hawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk, Big News on the Fire Escape, Phoenix, and the CCNY and Tulsa Hawks

Photo by Cheryl Cavert
Here are some recent photographs from hawkwatcher and photographer Cheryl Cavert of Kay and Jay Red-tailed Hawk going about their business.

Photo by Cheryl Cavert

Photo by Cheryl Cavert
Kay?

Photo by Cheryl Cavert
Sitting in a typical bonded configuration, they wouldn't want anyone sneaking up on them from either direction, the Tulsa KJRH TV Red-tails. I'm thinking that is Kay with her back turned and Jay, with the very pale brow facing us.

Photo by Cheryl Cavert

Jay on the left and Kay on the right.

Photo by James O'Brien, http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/

The City College of New York Male

A correction of his former information from James O'Brien on a previous post of the day, Flash! 2, next post down--

This is not Norman....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yojimbot/4320626522/
(Do check out James' photos on flickr.)
The two hawks I had above the Dwyer today and on Shepard's Hall are a mated pair, but are not Norman and Isolde. Why do I think this? Both these hawks are molting in what looks to be their 8th primary. The hawks on the Great Hill the other day were not molting at all...that pair, and the one on top of Douglass Houses on Amsterdam Ave are N and I. Will they reclaim the Cathedral or what seemed to be their site from last year, the Douglass Houses?


Photograph by Francois Portmann http://www.fotoportmann.com/birdblog/
A grand comparison photo from Francois concerning how to tell a Sharpie and a Coop apart, he says--

Here are 2 pics (Not to scale!!) of a Cooper’s Hawk left and a Sharp-shinned Hawk on the right, both immature birds.
In addition to the square tail, the sharpie shows blurrier streaks than the Coop.

Okay let's recap--

1. A Sharpie has a blunt edged tail and a Cooper's has a rounded tail. How do I remember that? Well, back in the day a man who made barrels was called a cooper. Barrels are curved and so is the tail of a Cooper's Hawk.

2. Francois observes that an immature Sharpie has more "blurred" belly streaks than those on a Cooper's.

3. John Blakeman always says that a Sharpie looks like it has no neck. And in these photos you can see what he means.

4. There is a size difference between the two, but unless you see them together, and as they over lap, this one is tough to be definitive about unless you see one at either end of the size continuum. A Sharpie comes in the 10 to 14 inch size. And a Coop is 14 to 20 inches.

Now if we could just tell who was a female and who was a male in immature Accipiters...

I received an email from reader Mai Stewart, asking after Phoenix, the hawk injured while roosting when a plane crashed nearby, and in particular wondering about what would be the state of her feathers and how long it would take for her to recover, if she did. I sent it off to premier wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath and here is his response--

Hi Donna,

Wow, its a miracle the bird survived and still being in critical condition has a long ,long road to recovery. Stabilizing it with meds ,fluids ,and easily digestible nutrition is what's recommended for now.

Who knows if there is internal damage as well if the bird breathed much smoke or high heated air while escaping the immediate fire area? If it survives the next molt starting late spring, early summer may be delayed due to its debilitated condition and I would bet it will need another years molt as well since there may be severe follicle damage .

The first molt won't necessarily replace a whole body full of feathers . Its possible that the feathers may never grow in properly either.

The eye lids are another issue. Its too early to tell if there is vision damage or if the eye lids , nictitating membranes , or tear ducts have been permanently damaged.

This poor bird has a lot going on with it right now. I wish them good luck. Challenging cases like this seem to bring out the best in rehabbers and maybe other sources nearby could lend their support as well if available, including an eye specialist .

Redtails are extremely hardy birds and have the ability to overcome many obstacles other more sensitive species cannot while under rehab.

Bobby, thank you so much for sharing your expertise, particularly about Phoenix's future when it comes to feathers. We're very lucky to have you!


Phoenix
Photo courtesy of http://www.flintcreekwildlife.org/blog/

An Update from Ken Zommer of Chicago, who originally sent the news about Phoenix--

Donna,
There is a video of the WTTW (PBS) Chicago Tonight story on the burned hawk as well as pictures at:
http://www.flintcreekwildlife.org/blog/

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Rising from the Ashes
In the midst of Saturday night's Sugar Grove plane crash that regretfully claimed the lives of two Florida men, stood the remnants of a large hawk. Phoenix, as she is now known, is believed to be a female Red-tailed Hawk that miraculously survived the fireball which engulfed her while she was sleeping in a tree near the crash site.

Burned beyond positive species identification, Phoenix was recovered by Kane County Animal Control and was promptly transferred to Flint Creek Wildlife for emergency care. Since that time four nights ago, she has been receiving around-the-clock care for her injuries.

She has demonstrated an inspiring spirit and resilience. Although her recovery time will be long, Phoenix stands a good chance of making a full recovery and being released back to the wild to soar once again.


Please keep her in your thoughts and visit our website at http://www.flintcreekwildlife.org/ if you are able to contribute to help offset the costs of her care.

Our sincerest appreciation to Kane County Animal Control and the sheriff's deputy who first spotted Phoenix standing in the snow near the plane wreckage.

Dawn

Don't miss the first posts of today, next two posts down, with very interesting news about Isolde and Norman and the CCNY Red-tails.

FLASH 2!!! ANOTHER ALTERNATE SITE

IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THE FIRST FLASH OF THE DAY SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT POST AND READ THAT ONE FIRST. THEN COME BACK AND READ THIS ONE

From Uptown Birdwatcher James O'Brien, http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/
I also had them on CCNY nest today (pix to follow) (Correction from James in main blog of today ). They are trying out nesting spots...stay tuned for their pic, but we must be vigilant as we missed it last year.

James

PS I also had the peregrines mating on top of Riverside Church today. Earliest ever mating I've witnessed...usually its the 2nd week of Feb.

Fascinating James, The escape as well as The Community College of NY site. Has anyone seen them around the Cathedral nest site. As for the Peregrines, two weeks early? How long do they tend to copulate before they lay or can you tell? D.B.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also from James O'Brien

Just re-read your email (From Nara-see post below) and had some thoughts about your fire escape as roosting/nest spot. I mentioned they go there when its windy not but not necessarily when its cold. When the wind is out of the NW, that's when the hawks gravitate towards Morningside Ave. as the buildings create a natural wind break. They can also use this airflow to dynamically soar out over their turf. This is what I saw them doing today, at just about noon.

James

FLASH!! ONE OF THE DIVINES, NORMAN OR ISOLDE, IS TWIGGING THE FIRE ESCAPE!

From Nara, who's fire escape has been an intermittent roost for Isolde over the past few weeks, with mate Norman somewhere in attendance on the same building--

Last night they didn't come back (so much for my theory about the cold). But as I was standing in the window talking on the phone five minutes ago (2:10 pm), I spotted one RTH in a tree right across from us. That one took off south and then I noticed another one (could have been the same one that I'd lost sight of) on a tree north of the original one. And that one suddenly swooped towards me, landing right in front of the window with A STICK!!! S/he plopped down from the railing onto the floor of the escape with a clunk.


I think s/he is there now--but I can't see as s/he is bit over from the window and I obviously don't want to open it to look...


OK, I'm going back to lurk in the living room.


Nara,
Your escape is in the running. They're twigging! It might only be the give-Isolde-a-choice nest but then again as we've no idea where they might have nested last season, if they did at all, we do know they did not use their previous site behind St. Andrew's arm at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Therefore the situation my be in flux enough for your escape to be the primary nest. I've been wondering if the new building south of the Cathedral nest might have aced some important point in their mysterious personal set of nest positioning criteria which has made that nest site less attractive in some way.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Also don't totally discount cold as a factor in Isolde spending the night on the escape. The answer may be a combination of wind direction and temperature. I'm beginning to believe that rarely do hawks change their behavior in response to one factor alone. It seems to be that often several factors are in play before a tipping point is reached.

Donegal Browne