Differentiating Local Hawks: Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, & Sharp-shinned Hawk

This morning, as I emerged from the Eno River woods onto a residential street, I saw a hawk flying towards a Mourning Dove in flight. In the Piedmont woods, we often see one of three hawk species perched on a branch at the ready to grab a meal, the Red-shouldered Hawk, the Cooper’s Hawk, and the Sharp-shinned Hawk; rarely do we get the chance to see one vying for a grab and go meal. 

The behavior I observed—trying to grab a Mourning Dove in flight—is enough information to tell me what species I saw: a Cooper’s Hawk. 

Here’s what we know about predation behaviors in the three common hawk species:

• Red-shouldered Hawks primarily hunt small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. This is often done from perches or sometimes we see them in soaring flights, but they are not aerial specialists that catch birds in flight.
• Cooper’s Hawks are specialized bird hunters, built for agility and speed through wooded habitats and open spaces. They are known for chasing and capturing medium-sized birds (like Mourning Doves) in mid-air pursuits. Plus, Mourning Doves are a frequent prey item for Cooper’s Hawks, especially around bird feeders and in suburban areas.
• Sharp-shinned Hawks are also aerial hunters but typically focus on smaller birds (like sparrows, finches). A Mourning Dove is on the large end of their preferred prey size, so they are less likely but still occasionally capable.

Let’s say this bird was perched instead, and you wanted to identify it. Here’s how:

• Red-shouldered Hawks are larger-bodied and robust. There chest is barred and rufous and it has a strongly banded tail. The wings and back often have a spotted appearance. Eyes are typically dark brown, but juveniles can have lighter brown eyes.
• Cooper’s Hawks slimmer silhouette, appearing more upright than Red-shouldered Hawks. Cooper’s hawks are larger than Sharp-shinned hawks, and have a larger, blockier head that has a capped appearance. It’s tail is slightly rounded. The wings and back, when perched, tend to have a slaty-gray appearance, although juveniles can look more spotted. Adults have red eyes and juveniles have yellow eyes.
• Sharp-shinned Hawks also have a slimmer, more upright silhouette, but its head is smaller and rounder. Also, its tail tends to look more square at the base. The back is also slaty-gray. Because its head is smaller, it’s eyes often look bigger or almost “buggy.” The eye color is the same as a Cooper’s Hawk.