Re: Need some help identifying a bird - Mystery likely solved

[Mousetoescamper]

Last edited Mon Sep 12, 2022, 09:50 AM - Edit history (2)

Thanks to Croney's post (17) I now think it's most likely an adult light morph broad-winged hawk.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Broad-winged_Hawk/photo-gallery/71534291

And thanks to everyone who replied!

I was searching my photo archives for potential photo contest entries and found these neglected shots. I'd appreciate any help in identifying this bird. I took the photos in Canaan Valley, WV in September of 2014. The bird was smaller than a red-tailed hawk and very fast.

[Sneederbunk]

1. Word is the bird.

[MuseRider]

2. I am going to keep an eye on this

as I have tons of birds on my farm and the only one's I have a real problem with ID are the hawks. They are hard. Beautiful bird.

[multigraincracker]

3. No expert, but a good guess

would be Red Tail Hawk.

[LakeArenal]

4. Sparrow hawk? Kestrel?

[Walleye]

5. Merlin would be my guess.

[Mousetoescamper]

10. That was my guess as well.

Smaller than a red-tailed hawk, larger than a kestrel and lightning fast. Consulted my field guides and online and it’s still a mystery.

[tblue37]

6. Cooper's hawk, maybe.

[Mousetoescamper]

16. I'm going with Cooper's Hawk. Thanks!

[Timewas]

7. Maybe

Might be a Goshawk

[Sanity Claws]

8. Female kestrel

that's my guess - https://www.shaverscreek.org/2017/04/29/the-american-kestrel-a-farmland-raptor-in-need/

[dem4decades]

9. My guess, Coopers Hawk. Smaller than a red tail, fast and usually around my bird feeder.

The crows take exception to them and bother the hell out of them.

And the blue jays do the same to the crows.

[Mousetoescamper]

11. You and tblue37 guessed Cooper's and that looks like it could be the bird, but if you enlarge

the in-flight pic the underwing doesn't look like a Cooper's.

[dem4decades]

12. I couldn't really see much in that shot.

[Mousetoescamper]

13. Brightened the shot.

[Mousetoescamper]

15. I'm going with Cooper's Hawk. Thanks!

[Mousetoescamper]

14. I'm going with dem4decades and tblue37's guesses of Cooper's Hawk. Thanks, everyone, for the help!

[Croney]

17. The birder in my family says it is a broad-winged hawk.

https://www.google.com/search?q=broad-winged+hawk&source=hp&ei=dyYfY-jpPO3ekPIPzI2F2Ag&gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TcwMjApMTJg9BJMKspPTNEtz8xLT01RyEgszwYAgVsJVQ&oq=broad-&gs_lcp=ChFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocBABGAAyBQguEIAEMgUILhCABDIFCC4QgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQguEIAEMgUILhCABDoKCCkQsQMQgwEQQzoLCCkQgAQQsQMQgwE6BQgpEKABOgIIKToECCkQRjoLCCkQgAQQsQMQyQM6EQgpEIAEELEDEIMBEMcBENEDOgoIKRCABBDUAhAKOg4IKRCABBCxAxCDARDJAzoHCCkQoAEQCjoICCkQgAQQsQM6DggAEI8BEOoCEIwDEOUCOgUIABCRAjoICC4QsQMQgwE6CwgAEIAEELEDEIMBOhEILhCABBCxAxCDARDHARDRAzoECAAQQzoKCAAQsQMQgwEQQzoLCC4QgAQQxwEQrwFQsg1Y7jBg80JoAHAAeACAAcoDiAH_DJIBBzAuNS40LTKYAQCgAQGwAR4&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp

[Mousetoescamper]

18. Thanks, Croney! I think your birder has correctly identified my mystery bird.

The bird is most likely an adult light morph broad-winged hawk.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Broad-winged_Hawk/photo-gallery/71534291