- Jan 07 6:39 pm
#34703
If you're identifying accipiters based on wing-beats, cut it out. Its a totally inaccurate way of doing identifying them, akin to IDing accipiters based on size alone. Countless times have I seen a large accipiter flying towards me with deep slow wingbeats, my heart races it must be a goshawk! As the reddish chest and belly come into focus my hopes are quashed, its just a big fat female cooper's hawk flapping slowly. All species will soar, glide, flap fast or slow depending on what they're doing. Sexual dimorphism and juvenile plumage also complicate matters.
That being said, based on the proportionately small bill and overall body size (with reference to the utility line), slim lower body and squat neck I think this bird is probably a juvenile sharp-shinned hawk. Unfortunately the square tail shape can't be seen in this photo. Both cooper's and sharp shinned hawks can be found around Martindale this time of year.