ID Please?

[erica67]

Hi! Have not posted many pictures on this forum, but today we had a visitor in our neighborhood. To be in fact, sitting on both our vehicles, and our fence.
Can someone tell me what it is?
After downloading it, I noticed the little bugs flying around the yard, or it may have been dust since I was shooting towards the sun.
Thanks
Erica

[Keith R]

Be nice to know where your neighbouthood was, Erica - judging by how you spell it, I guess you're in the US?

[nitefrogger]

It looks like an immature sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk. Cooper's are generally larger but smaller male Coopers may be close in size to larger female sharp-shinned. We get Coopers in town in here western Wisconsin where they feed on starlings and pigeons. Nice picture!

[erica67]

Sorry, I'm in Northern Indiana.
The neighbors thought it was a red tailed, but looking at pictures of those here, I didn't think it was.
Thanks!
Erica

[CyberDyneSystems]

It's definitely NOT a red Tail.

As nitefrogger mentions it is either Cooper's or Sharp Shinned (virtually identical from most angles and easiest to differentiate based on size)

Looks small, and Behavior here looks more "sharpy" too :)