Any Accipiter with red-orange vermiculating (as pointed out below) under wing &/or breast patterning is a Cooper's Hawk, as far as my sport of listing goes. I'll let you scientists worry about precise IDing of aberant Goshawks with red-orange vermiculations. See "Asdvanced Birding" by Kenn Kaufman, P.57.

I once saw an adult Cooper's Hawk, on Fort Huachuca, AZ, deliberately fly down into and along a winding ditch/shallow arroyo and pop up under an oak tree with a bunch of Band-tailed Pigeons in it. The pigeons flew every which way, although it didn't look like the hawk nailed any of them.

Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Ebriefer at aol.com
> Dear Tweeters: Any birder who uses only field marks to identify raptors is
> working under a handicap. What if the lighting conditions are of a low
> intensity? What if the raptor is turned the "wrong way"? What if some
> structure,
> such as, leaves or branches blocks your view? How should unusual plumages be
> treated? What if you get only a 3-second-look, and then the raptor flys off?
> And
> that raptor in the sky giving you that 10-minute-look -- remains
> intellectually unresloved.
>
> In winter of 2001-2002, in Tucson, I went to the parking lot of Costco to
> look for raptors. This is on Grant, and my first trip to Costco. After about 20
> minutes, a mature female Goshawk appeared from across the large wash. The
> lighting conditions were excellent. The bird flew slowly overhead at elevation
> of 100-150 feet. The bird had a large area of white under tail coverts. The
> chest, belly, and under wing coverts were of red vermiculation.
>
> In Rockport, Texas, 2002-2003, in December, January, February, and March, I
> had many sightings of a mature, "long winged", female Goshawk. The dorsal
> area was dark (pewter grey). The chest, belly , and under wing coverts were of
> red-orange vermiculation. This bird was also witnessed (with me) on at least
> 2-daily-sightings, by a biologist (professor).
>
> In February of 2005, just outside the city limits of Anacortes; at
> elevation of about 300 feet; a mature female Goshawk. The bird was soaring,
> gliding,
> and flapping [as a Goshawk flaps].The lighting conditions were excellent. The
> bird was heading westward, toward Mount Eire. My impression was; this bird
> is new to the area, and might be heading into this area for the first time --
> possibly to take up residence. [I never saw that bird again.] This bird had a
> large area of white, under tail coverts, and a chest, belly, and under wing
> coverts of red vermiculation.
>
> In Anacortes and in Tucson, I have seen male and female Goshawks with red
> casts on their ventral (underside) areas. But these sightings were not
> dramatic. In other words, the sightings were at long range (in flight), and the
> bird
> gave me just a flash, as it tilted to turn. What would that bird's underside
> become at close range? The red areas would become more intense; more
> saturated with redness.
>
> One last point, relating to what I call "Goshawks with expressed recessive
> genes". I had a brief meeting with 3 biologists from Tucson Game and Fish.
> Michael Ingraldi, Ph.D. informed me: at a Goshawk nest in Heber, Arizona, he
> had
> tried to trap a mature female Goshawk. That bird could not be trapped. That
> bird had a red chest and belly. Nelson Briefer _Ebriefer at aol.com_
> (mailto:Ebriefer at aol.com)
>
>
>
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