# Cooper's Hawk in Downtown Sacramento



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

3/4/11 7:20am 12th St near L St, Downtown Sacramento
I was on my way to work when I saw a bird on the ground with another bird. I pulled out my cellphone and took a picture.

As I got closer I could see it was a hawk and I snapped another picture. When I took the next picture the hawk flew away in a tree with it's prize. I think it was a pigeon that it had caught.

I thought it was a Prairie Falcon since those are known to be working in the nearby Capitol Park, Sacramento, Calif. But I'm told by birdgeeks who saw the picture its a Cooper's Hawk. The white spots in lower left of the picture are feathers from the pigeon.

This is smack in the middle of Downtown Sacramento between a couple of big State of Calif office buildings and the State Capitol is a couple hundred yards down the street! That's my corner of the world!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

I know none of us are thrilled when a hawk eats one of our chickens or the songbirds that we feed, but I'm thrilled every time I see one. I think it's wonderful to see so many different raptors when none were seen (around here) 15 yrs ago. We are even seeing bald eagles at the lake during Winter now.

That was an excellent photo op for you!


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It could possibly be a Sharp Shinned Hawk, judging by the size.

The two are nearly identical



> With all plumages, Cooper's Hawks are barrel shaped, with the width of the chest fairly close in size to the width of the hips and the largest portion of the chest about halfway down the body. Sharp-shinned Hawks, on the other hand, are widest at the shoulder and get distinctly narrower down to the hips


http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/accipiterIDtable.htm


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

It might be a Sharp shinned hawk, but I think the white tips on the tail feathers indicate Cooper's hawk?

ETA: Nope, your link says both have white tip tails. I think the light colored neck and dark "cap" rather than dark "hood" make me lean to Cooper. I think this one loked more tubular body type and not as broad chested as the Sharp shinned.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

SueMc said:


> That was an excellent photo op for you!


Excellent for me. Bad day for the pigeon.
But it did get its picture taken with a hawk.

Good thing there is a million pigeons in the city.

Have a good day!


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

White tips on a rounded tail = Cooper's. We have sharpies after my pigeons now and then. 

Martin


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Thank you Paq,

I need to get a better cell phone camera. I have a digital camera but it was tucked in my bag whereas the cellphone was in my shirt pocket.

Have a good day!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Quite a few large cities encourage owners of tall buildings to provide nesting platforms for raptors to help control pigeon populations.


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