Folks,

While the goshawk, if that is what it is, in my mediocre photos has a white supercilium and white on the back, both characteristics that Sibley highlights to distinguish Goshawk from Cooper's Hawk, the tail pattern looks more like Sibley's Cooper's.  Is the supercilium and white on the back part of the natural variation in Cooper's that Sibley does not address?  I did not see the bird's breast as it flew away while I was trying to get better photos.  While not diagnostic, its flight seemed markedly stronger than the Cooper's I am used to seeing in this same location.

Any accipiter experts (or others!) care to comment?  Thanks.

Michel 


-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding on behalf of Cavigelli, Michel
Sent: Sun 9/26/2010 10:37 PM
To: 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] juvenile goshawk, BARC
 
Thursday last week, as I was biking to work I saw a large bird in a tree that I assumed must be a bald eagle (based on size from a distant).  As I got closer I noticed the shape was all wrong and it looked like a Cooper's hawk (juvenile)...but, it was too big and it had a distinct supercilium.  I got some mediocre photos and tonight I finally had a chance to look at them and look at Sibley to confirm my earlier suspicions (I am not used to considering goshawks, though this would be my 2nd one at BARC since 2008).  Am I just lucky to see 2 in 2+ years or are goshawks more common (becoming more common?) than the Yellow Book suggests? 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33230079@N05/


Michel Cavigelli
Greenbelt