As far as I know, this is a sharp-shinned hawk. Apparently it is difficult to know the difference between a Sharp-Shinned Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk. There is a difference in size, with the Sharp-Shinned Hawk being smaller than the Cooper’s Hawk. The female Sharp-Shinned is similar in size to the male Cooper’s Hawk.
This one appeared in our backyard yesterday. It caught a small bird, probably a junco, and sat on its perch to eat its prey. It was there quite awhile, and was back this morning to check things out. There are no little birds in our yard today. The word has probably gotten out to them.
It took a long time taking the feathers off of its meal before eating it. It isn’t nice to think of the smaller birds being hunted down for food, but they do provide food for the larger birds.
God has given us so many different birds and animals to see. We are blessed to see so many in our own backyard.
