This afternoon I had a backyard visitor.  I initially thought that it was an Immature Red-tailed Hawk until after I looked at my photos.  The tail was not like any Red-tailed Hawk that I had seen before.  The tail was not like any of the Red-shouldered hawks that I have seen, and the eye was not brown.  The tail kind of looks like a Coopers hawk but the bird is much too big for a Coopers.  It also looks alot like the immature Coopers that fledged across the street, but this bird is much larger.

Actually after about a half hour a Coopers hawk did chase this bird away.

Is this an Immature Northern Goshawk?  I am guessing because the Sibley guide mentioned the uneven bands on the tail.  It also seems to be about the right size.  If the pole on fence is 1.5" that would make this bird about 20" 

http://www.watware.com/testphoto/CRW_0042_640.jpg

Here is another shot (not for the weak stomach).  Here you can get a good look at the legs (watch out for the jet-spray!)
http://www.watware.com/testphoto/CRW_0062_640.jpg

I have several more photos but they are all the same as the first one, only with the head in different positions.

Dave Watkins
Cuyahoga Falls
Summit County


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