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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Bird Watchers :: What is it ?
 
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Bearpath9
12/11/2021 06:08AM
 
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My guess is Cooper's or Sharp Shinned Hawk.
Could be a Red Tail.
Or maybe even a young eagle, though that is extremely doubtful. I say young eagle because we have had an eagle, or possibly two, flying over all summer. And we do live near (1-2 miles) from the Minnesota river.
 
sedges
12/11/2021 09:05AM
 
Agree, juvenile red-shouldered hawk.
 
Bearpath9
12/11/2021 11:19AM
 
Not familiar with the term "red-shouldered". Would that be the same as a "red-tail" hawk ?
 
Ausable
12/11/2021 12:07PM
 
They are different species. I think that the Minnesota River valley might be near the northern edge of the range for red-shouldered hawks.
 
Bearpath9
12/11/2021 12:10PM
 
Did a little googling on this one. As I understand it, this bird is not too common in Minnesota. My bird book is for Minnesota species, which is one reason why I wasn't sure what it was. Another reason is I have to my knowledge never seen one. Thanks for the help. I have a couple of owl pics I will be posting in a day or two. Have my guesses, but I would like to get more input. Thanks again.
 
Ausable
12/11/2021 07:41AM
 
Not an eagle. Relative to its body, a Bald Eagle's tail is shorter and wider and its head is larger. A juvenile Bald Eagle's tail does not have that distinctive white stripe at the end nor does the tail have dark horizontal stripes. If the width of the fence boards are 4 inches, the bird in your photo is about 22 inches from the top of its head to the tip of its tail. That length is too short for an eagle. If the boards are 3 inches wide, the bird is about 17 inches long.

I think that it is a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. Compare the length of the wings and tail, plus the pattern of the belly and leg feathers to the picture I took of a juvenile Cooper's Hawk this summer.


 
Jeriatric
02/15/2022 11:28PM
 
I know that the red-shouldered hawk lives in some cities. They take squirrels and sometimes try for cats.