Cooper’s Hawk vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk for Kids
Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks share blue-grey adult backs, reddish barred chests, short rounded wings, and long banded tails. They are so similar that even expert birders sometimes record an uncertain sharp-shinned or Cooper’s hawk. The strongest clue is a whole pattern: Cooper’s hawks are generally larger, with a big projecting head, thick legs, and a rounded tail. Sharp-shinned hawks are generally smaller, with a tiny head, pencil-thin legs, and a squarer tail. Sex-size overlap means a large female sharp-shinned can approach a small male Cooper’s.
Cooper’s Hawk
- Type: Medium Forest-and-Suburb Bird-Hunting Hawk
- Group: Living species Astur cooperii in hawk-and-eagle family Accipitridae; formerly Accipiter cooperii and moved to genus Astur in the modern North American checklist
- Known for: Crow-like size, large angular projecting head, thick legs and toes, broad rounded wings, very long rounded tail with unequal feather lengths and broad white tip, reddish adult barring, flap-flap-glide flight, concealed low approaches, agile chases, and increasing use of wooded suburbs
- Diet: Carnivore feeding mainly on medium-sized birds such as doves, starlings, robins, jays, flickers, and quail, plus squirrels, chipmunks, mice, bats, and other small mammals
- Special skill: Steering a crow-sized body through trees with short rounded wings and a long rudder-like tail, then using cover and a sudden low burst to surprise prey in forests or leafy neighbourhoods
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
- Type: Small Secretive Deep-Forest Bird-Hunting Hawk
- Group: Living species Accipiter striatus in hawk-and-eagle family Accipitridae; it remains in genus Accipiter despite its close visual resemblance to Cooper’s hawk
- Known for: Jay-like size, tiny rounded head, pencil-thin laterally compressed lower legs, short rounded wings, very long usually square-tipped tail with similarly long feathers and narrow white edge, reddish adult barring, rapid flap-and-glide flight, dense-forest ambushes, and strong migration movements
- Diet: Carnivore specialising in small birds such as sparrows, warblers, finches, and thrushes, with occasional small mammals and large insects
- Special skill: Threading rapidly through dense branches with a tiny head, short wings, long steering tail, extremely thin lower legs, and long toes suited to gripping small, quick-moving bird prey
Quick Answer
Quick answer: A Cooper’s hawk is usually crow-sized with a large head that projects beyond the wings, thick legs, a tubular body, and a rounded tail made by longer central feathers. A sharp-shinned hawk is usually jay-sized with a small head, very thin sharp-edged lower legs, a broad-chested tapering body, and a squarer tail whose feathers are more equal in length. Use several clues together because females are larger than males and the two species overlap in size.
Cooper’s Hawk vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cooper’s Hawk | Sharp-Shinned Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Current scientific name | Astur cooperii; formerly Accipiter cooperii | Accipiter striatus |
| Adult size | Length 37-45 cm; mass about 220-680 g | Length 24-34 cm; mass about 87-218 g |
| Head | Large, angular, and projects well beyond wings | Small, rounded, and barely projects beyond wings |
| Body | Longer, tubular, with lower centre of gravity | Broad-chested and narrow-hipped with higher centre of gravity |
| Lower legs | Relatively thick and sturdy | Very thin and laterally compressed, giving the sharp-shinned name |
| Tail feathers | Middle feathers longer, usually making a rounded tip | Feathers more equal, usually making a square or notched tip |
| White tail edge | Usually broader and more obvious when fresh | Usually narrower |
| Open flight | Measured flap-flap-glide rhythm | Quicker, sometimes less countable flaps followed by glide |
| Typical prey | Medium birds plus some small mammals | Mostly smaller songbirds |
| Best identification rule | Combine large head, thick legs, body, and rounded tail | Combine tiny head, thin legs, body, and square tail |
How Are Cooper’s Hawk and Sharp-Shinned Hawk Alike?
- Both are living American accipitrine hawks in family Accipitridae with short rounded wings and very long steering tails.
- Both adults are blue-grey above with fine reddish-orange barring below and dark bands across the tail.
- Both females are much larger than males, creating size overlap between a female sharp-shinned hawk and a male Cooper’s hawk.
- Both hunt mainly birds by surprise, using woodland cover, rapid acceleration, agile turns, long toes, and curved talons.
- Both build stick nests in trees, lay eggs, care for helpless chicks, migrate in at least part of the range, and may visit feeder areas.
How Are Cooper’s Hawk and Sharp-Shinned Hawk Different?
- Cooper’s hawk is usually much larger and heavier, although its smallest males overlap with the largest female sharp-shinned hawks.
- Cooper’s hawk has a large projecting head, while the sharp-shinned hawk’s small head may barely extend beyond the wing wrists in a glide.
- Cooper’s hawk has thick legs and toes, while sharp-shinned hawk has pencil-thin lower legs with a compressed front edge.
- Cooper’s central tail feathers are longer and usually create a rounded tip, while sharp-shinned tail feathers are more even and usually look square.
- Modern classification places Cooper’s hawk in Astur but leaves sharp-shinned hawk in Accipiter, showing that resemblance does not guarantee closest kinship.
Cooper’s Hawk vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk Showdown
Adaptation showdown: Cooper’s Hawk wins size because its 37-45 centimetre, 220-680 gram range is generally well above the sharp-shinned hawk’s 24-34 centimetres and 87-218 grams, despite sex-based overlap at the boundary. Speed is a Tie because both perform rapid forest pursuit without a fair matched maximum-speed test. Cooper’s Hawk wins strength through its much larger body, thicker legs and toes, and ability to handle larger prey. Stealth is a Tie because both use vegetation, low approaches, and surprise. Social behaviour is a Tie because both are mostly solitary outside breeding pairs. Swimming is a Tie because neither is a swimming specialist. Sharp-Shinned Hawk wins weirdest for the remarkably narrow, laterally compressed front edge of its lower leg that inspired the name sharp-shinned and accompanies a light, small-bird specialist’s build.
Fun Cooper’s Hawk vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk Facts
One Sex Can Resemble the Other Species
Female hawks are larger than males in both species. A large female sharp-shinned hawk can approach a small male Cooper’s hawk, so size by itself is most useful only at the obvious extremes.
Tail Shape Comes from Feather Length
A Cooper’s middle tail feathers are usually longer than the outer ones, producing a rounded fan. Sharp-shinned tail feathers are closer to equal length, producing a square tip, but a closed, worn, or badly angled tail can fool the eye.
Head Projection Works Best in Flight
A soaring Cooper’s large angular head extends clearly beyond the wing wrists. A sharp-shinned hawk’s tiny head may barely project, making the forward outline look compact when seen from below.
The Sharp Shin Is a Real Leg Clue
The lower leg of a sharp-shinned hawk is unusually thin from side to side and has a compressed leading edge. This creates the namesake sharp profile and contrasts with the visibly thicker legs of most Cooper’s hawks.
Their Scientific Names Recently Split Apart
DNA-based classification moved Cooper’s hawk from Accipiter into Astur, while sharp-shinned hawk remained in Accipiter. The change reveals that two striking lookalikes are not as close on the hawk family tree as their shapes suggest.
Cooper’s Hawk vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk Quiz
- Which hawk is usually larger? Answer: Cooper’s hawk.
- Which hawk usually has the smaller head? Answer: The sharp-shinned hawk.
- Which hawk usually has a rounded tail tip? Answer: Cooper’s hawk.
- Why can size be misleading? Answer: Females are larger than males, so a female sharp-shinned can overlap a male Cooper’s.
- What is Cooper’s hawk’s current genus? Answer: Astur.
Cooper’s Hawk vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk FAQ
How can I tell a Cooper’s hawk from a sharp-shinned hawk?
Combine size, head projection, body shape, leg thickness, tail-feather pattern, white tail tip, and flight style. Do not rely on one clue.
Which hawk has a square tail?
Sharp-shinned hawks usually look squarer because their tail feathers are more equal, but angle, feather wear, and a closed tail can change the appearance.
Can a sharp-shinned hawk be as large as a Cooper’s hawk?
A large female sharp-shinned can approach a small male Cooper’s, but most Cooper’s hawks are larger.
Why is Cooper’s hawk now called Astur cooperii?
A modern North American checklist used genetic evidence to move it from Accipiter into genus Astur.
Do these hawks only live near bird feeders?
No. Both are forest hawks. Feeders can concentrate small birds and make hawks easier to notice, especially outside the nesting season.
Animal Words to Know
- Accipitrine: A forest-adapted hawk type with short rounded wings, long tail, and agile pursuit flight.
- Reversed size dimorphism: A pattern in which the adult female is larger than the adult male.
- Tarsus: The visible lower section of a bird’s leg between the ankle joint and toes.
- Genus: A scientific group of closely related species, forming the first word of a two-part scientific name.
- Tail graduation: Differences in tail-feather length that can create a rounded rather than square tip.
Build a Lookalike Hawk Field Guide
Build a Lookalike Hawk Field Guide
Draw adult Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks in matching side-view perches and matching glide silhouettes. Keep honest size with a sex-overlap note. Give Cooper’s hawk a crow-sized tubular body, large projecting angular head, thick legs, broad white tail tip, and longer central tail feathers forming a rounded fan. Give sharp-shinned hawk a jay-sized broad-chested body, tiny rounded head, pencil-thin legs, narrow white tail edge, and more even feathers forming a square tip. Add separate close-ups for head projection, legs, tail-feather lengths, and scientific names. Label large head, small head, thick legs, sharp shin, rounded tail, square tail, Astur, Accipiter, and use several clues.
Meet Each Animal
Want the full fact file? Here are quick highlights from each animal’s own facts page.
Cooper’s Hawk Fact Highlight
From the full animal facts pageSharp-Shinned Hawk Fact Highlight
From the full animal facts pageMore Animal Comparisons
Pick another animal matchup and keep exploring. Tiny facts, big questions, very serious animal business.
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