Case closed…Cooper’s Hawk!
Okay, so we think the mystery is solved! Tina sent in this second photo that shows the same hawk up in a tree a few minutes later. At Tina’s request, I (rather poorly) blurred out the hawk’s victim. She had been out taking pictures of hummingbirds when it suddenly swooped down and made a quick kill in her neighbor’s yard.
With this new picture, the red eye is clearly visible, and the feathers on top are definitely blue-gray and not brown. That eliminates the Broad-winged Hawk, which is more brown on top. Also, the size of the bird appears to be larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk (apparently referred to as Sharpies), which are about the size of jays. That leaves us with an amateur diagnosis of a Cooper’s Hawk. They have the distinct red eye, blue-gray feathers, and are more the size of a large crow. Here are some links to websites that were helpful along the way. Thanks for everyone’s input! Dave
Whatbird.com – Sharp-shinned Hawk
San Diego Natural History Musuem
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Wow! That is a real capture, Tina! Though it is sad to see – it is still exciting to me to see any hawk make the kill. (If it is my bluebirds – I’ll cry!!!) Thanks for the challenge, Dave!
Glad the mystery is solved!