These are indeed Cooper's Hawks. Please read up on the courtship practices of Accipiters. The undertail coverts are fluffed to such a degree as to wholly envelope the outer tail feathers, and can wrap over to effect the appearance of a white rump. Early British literature describing the display in the Northern Goshawk goes so far as to mention the potential confusion with a harrier. The first time I saw this in a goshawk (in 1985 near Long Point, Ontario) that was certainly my impression. We are about near the peak for courtship activity in the Cooper's Hawk in northern Ohio ... and this can be a useful observation with regard to the Ohio BBA. cheers Vic Fazio Shaker Hts, OH Rita Schneider <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Any ideas on Bill's sighting? I saw a similar bird while standing in the parking lot of the Seiberling Naturealm in Akron on March 28th. (About 15 miles south of Bill's -- maybe the same bird???) Bill's description was spot on -- but I got a quick look at the underside, which appeared lightly barred to me. My first thought, also, was that it was a Cooper's. It turned and I got a look at that tail, which was slightly fanned and showing the white outer feathers on either side. Then it disappeared over the trees. I didn't get the impression that it was a harrier -- is there a stage where a Cooper might show this kind of plummage? (juv-adult etc.) Any other thoughts? Thanks much, Rita Schneider Subject: Unusual Hawk, Macedonia 3/30 From: William H Fissell Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:23:28 -0500 Birders, Whilst getting a title for my truck at the Macedonia title bureau-- right next to the firehouse on Valley View Road - I saw what I first took to be a Cooper's Hawk flying across the road. I saw it from the back and above only, as the bird was banking in such a way I never saw the underparts. The bird was Coop sized or maybe a hair bigger, with grey back and wings. I was looking at the tail and observed that the bird had white lateral tailfeathers on both sides, and not just the outer feather-- the outer two or three feathers were white, with a narrow band of grey down the middle. I don't know if there was any banding of that grey, as I was so startled I looked back at the body of the bird and the wings for more clues. I think there was a whitish rump patch, but I am not totally sure. The overall impression was more like a meadowlark or sandpiper tail, rather than a junco tail. The wings were broad and rounded, and again the overall impression was a coop. I probably saw the bird for 2-3 seconds as it flew across the road and parking lot and into the woods. AFAIK, there aren't any raptors with white lateral tail feathers, so if any Macedonians see the bird, I'd love to know what ti really is. Bill ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]