KITES, HAWKS, AND EAGLES: Family Accipitriidae [185] 



Winters from southern Alaska, British Columbia, Montana, Minnesota, Great 

 Lakes, New York, and central New England south to Central America. In Oregon: 

 Common permanent resident in all parts. 



THE SPEEDY little Sharp-shinned Hawk is much more abundant than most 

 casual observers suspect, as its habit of doing its hunting by short dashes 

 from a concealed perch in a tree often allows it to escape observation. 

 It was first recorded for the State by Bendire (1877) ^ rom Camp Harney, 

 and both Mearns (1879) an d Merrill (1888) listed it from Fort Klamath. 

 Anthony (1886) considered it common in Washington County, and Wood- 

 cock (1902.) listed it from various localities in western Oregon. In our 

 records it appears to be of equal abundance throughout the wooded areas. 

 It undoubtedly nests throughout the State, although records of the actual 

 finding of nests are rare. Bendire (1892.) obtained a set of five eggs on 

 May 18, 1883, near Fort Klamath; Jewett found a completed nest and 

 collected the female with a fully developed egg in an ovary on May 16, 

 1914, at Vida (Lane County); and Gripentrog (19x9) collected a set of 

 eggs near Salem on May 2.2., 192.8. 



The resemblance of this hawk to the larger Cooper's Hawk is very 

 close in comparable plumages, and a large female Sharp-shinned Hawk 

 might easily be confused with a male Cooper's Hawk in either immature 

 or adult plumage. If a clear view can be obtained in flight, the shape of 

 the tail furnishes a good field identification mark. In this species, the 

 outer tail feathers are about the same length as the central ones, so that the 

 tail has a square appearance, while the tail of Cooper's Hawk looks 

 rounded when spread enough to show the shorter outer feathers. 



The Sharp-shinned Hawk is one of the few really destructive species. 

 It feeds habitually on small birds, young chickens, and probably young 

 game birds and because of its comparative abundance is undoubtedly the 

 most destructive hawk in the State. 



Cooper's Hawk: 



Acci-piter cooperi (Bonaparte) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adult male: Under parts white, heavily spotted and barred with 

 reddish brown- top of bead black contrasted with bluish gray of back; tail rounded, 

 with 3 or 4 black bands and narrow white tip. Adult female: upper parts duller and 

 less bluish than in male; top of head more brownish black; hind neck and sides of 

 head washed with dull rusty. Young: upper parts dark brown, with rusty edgings 

 and suggestion of white spotting; under parts streaked vertically. Male: length 

 14-17, wing 8.85-9.40, tail 7.80-8.30. Female: length i8-zo, wing io.io-ii.oo, tail 

 9.00-10.50." (Bailey) Nest: Usually an old crow's, hawk's, or squirrel's nest. 

 Eggs: 4 to 5, bluish or greenish white, either with or without scrawls of brown or 

 buff. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Winters 

 from British Columbia, Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio Valley, and New England south 

 to Central America. In Oregon: Regular permanent resident throughout State. 



