Coopers Hawk Hunting Near Bird Feeder

Looking out my home office window, I watched this awesome rapter, the sharp-shinned hawk, tenaciously walk around a bush near my bird feeder where two sparrows were hiding. The squirrel was also fascinated by this hunt. The hawk's attempts lasted about 15 min. until he finally fly away when raccoons arrived. The raccoons also heard the birds rustling, peering into the bush and the birds flew off safely. The next day, the hawk returned and made two attempts to grab a pigeon, pinning the second pigeon to the ground, which I also vidoed until I decided to intervene and broke it up. This happened in my West Seattle yard.
[Update Dec. 2011: Thank you to all you smart birders who identified this fellow as a Coopers Hawk. My title said "Sharp-shinned Hawk" for a year, but I've just corrected it to "Coopers Hawk". I wanted to explain for future visitors why the comments were all pointing it was a Coopers and being confused since my title says so - now.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• sharp-shinned hawk
• squirrel
• bird

[PinkOld]

Thanks for recording this, but why in the world would you deny this beautiful hawk his meal later on the next day, especially when he was in the process of eliminating a very harmful invasive species?

That is absurd.

[SeattleWebGirl]

@PinkOld Glad you liked the video - and the hawk, Pink. Well, I interceded as a natural impulse to stop death. On reflection, allowing the hawk to eat, though involving death, sustains the hawks life. Like I said, it was an impulse. I live my life carefully to not harm life (vegetarian), but I do know most animals don't have that option. As for death being justified based only on "eliminating a very harmful invasive species" - my personal reaction is THAT reasoning is absurd.

[cambelanger]

Don't call it hunting if u don't have a gun it bird watching

[SeattleWebGirl]

@cambelanger Well, actually I'm saying the Coopers Hawk is hunting, not me. How can you take the time to comment but not take the time to comprehend?

[phyllis1753]

Definitely a Cooper's. First; the size. Coops are a bit larger than crows. Second; the bill flows smoothly into the head. A Sharpie's bill is noticeably smaller. Third; the tips of the tail feathers are rounded and are showing white.

[SeattleWebGirl]

@phyllis1753 Oh, cool. I love that you identified each point of differentiation. Now I see it. An education by community!

[Najakaouthia111]

Thats a Cooper's Hawk

[SeattleWebGirl]

@tisxnotxreal You are correct, I shouldn't have intervened. After the first few times (and my neighbor advising the same) I left the hawk alone to hunt. I've seen him observing the bird feeders several tims and I tend to walk away from the window so as not to witness what might happen. While he may carry away small birds without leaving evidence, I've twice seen piles of pigeon feathers where the nature did her thing. It's still sad as I feed and enjoy the pigeons.

[PinkOld]

@SeattleWebGirl You need to better educate yourself on the subject of introduced birds and the tremendous toll they have taken on indigenous species, in this case native songbirds.

If you understood what happened when Old World birds such as the starling, House sparrow, pigeon, and Collared dove were brought here, perhaps you would have gladly allowed the hawk -- himself a native species -- to take a few of the invasives out.

Read up on it or better yet, talk to an ornithologist.

[SeattleWebGirl]

@LostinNPR Thank you! You've a keener eye than me (with my little bird book). I'm bouyed by the confession that you, as well, were persuaded by my ID, but let the tail tell the real .. tale.

[SeattleWebGirl]

@josephsmoviecompany Thanks for the ID. Yes, definetly the consensus is Cooper. I'm going to change the video title to reflect the fact.

[SeattleWebGirl]

@patsijean You're right, it's excessive and my husband says the same thing. But I've come to realize that about half the seed in the box is being gobbled by the grey squirrels that have decided my outside bin is a handy place to eat. They eat the peanuts and sunflower seeds, leaving the millet for the bird feeders. This year I've changed to providing bird suet and sprinkling seed in my hanging flower baskets that are now bare in winter. It seems more natural, albeit unnatural in fact.

[josephsmoviecompany]

The second i saw the bird i knew it was cooper's hawk, not only the size but the darker head is a big key.