10/23/2026
Thought this might be helpful when trying to identify if the hawk is a Coopers or a Sharpie…
Our "tricky hawk I.D." photo, submitted by reader Kim Wegner, was split nearly half and half between sharp-shinned and Cooper's in the comments! Here's what Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman, Birds & Blooms' birding experts, had to say.
"The tricky Cooper's/sharp-shinned hawk challenge is even tougher than usual in this fun photo! The head angle makes it hard to see the nape color or eye position, the legs are hidden by feathers (leaving only one foot visible), and the end of the tail is cut off. But the bird is an adult (with gray instead of brown above, and reddish barring below) and the bright colors make it a male (males are smaller and more colorful than females in both species).
Points for Cooper's hawk include the very dark top of the head; if it were turned to the side, we should see contrast between the blackish cap and gray nape, while sharp-shinned males are just blue-gray from the top of the head down the nape. The size of the eye suggests Cooper's; sharp-shinneds look very big-eyed, especially the males. The cheeks look grayish, which is more typical of Cooper's, while those of sharp-shinned often have an orange tinge.
Finally, although the tip of the tail is hidden, we can see that the outermost feathers are shorter than the central ones, creating a rounded or graduated shape. Sharp-shinned hawks, especially males, usually have very square-tipped tails. So we'll call it a Cooper's hawk, adult male, but it shows what a fun challenge these birds can be!"
