My yard was raided this afternoon by what I finally decided
(half-heartedly) was a juvenile male Cooper's Hawk. It sat on the
neighbor's fence eating what appeared to be a female House Sparrow.

It was "that size", and I never really felt sure the tail was rounded at
the tip or longer than a Sharpie, or if there was "more contrast"
between the crown and nape (though that feature seemed to be developing
in this young bird). The head appeared to me to be proportionately sized
like a Cooper's but hey, it wasn't sitting next to a juvie female
Sharpie! I had good long clear looks at it for at least twenty minutes.
I consulted Peterson, Nat. Geographic, and Audubon Master Guide. Still
never felt sure.

How do people ID them with brief glimpses in flight!? Geeezzzzz!
--
Michael Brown
Puyallup, WA
borealis at borealis.seanet.com