Cooper’s hawks are medium-sized hawks found across North America. They are adept at hunting other birds and are common backyard birds in many areas. Cooper’s hawks can be tricky to identify, especially because they resemble other hawk species found in the same range. However, with some knowledge of Cooper’s hawk features, behavior, habitat, and range, you can confidently identify them.
What are the identifying features of a Cooper’s hawk?
Cooper’s hawks have several distinctive features that can help identify them:
- Size: About the size of a crow, 14-20 inches long with a wingspan of 24-35 inches.
- Coloration: Blue-gray upperparts and pale underparts with reddish barring on the chest.
- Shape: Rounded wings and a long banded tail.
- Head: Dark cap with a rounded head profile.
- Eyes: Red eyes.
The combination of the reddish-barred chest, blue-gray coloring, rounded head shape, and medium size helps distinguish Cooper’s hawks from other hawk species. They are larger and stockier than the sharp-shinned hawk but smaller and more slender than the northern goshawk.
How does a Cooper’s hawk fly and hunt?
Cooper’s hawks have a very distinctive flight style and hunting behavior:
- Flight: They have fast and agile flight through trees. They fly with several quick wingbeats followed by a short glide.
- Hunting: They often perch quietly before ambushing other birds, crashing through vegetation to grab them. They sometimes chase birds in more open areas.
- Prey: Mainly other birds like doves, woodpeckers, jays, robins. Sometimes small mammals and reptiles.
Watching a Cooper’s hawk fly and hunt can help confirm the identification. The fast but maneuverable flight through tree canopies and the ambush-style attacks are typical of the species.
Where are Cooper’s hawks found?
Cooper’s hawks have a widespread range across North America:
- Year-round populations across southern Canada and the United States south to Mexico.
- Summer breeding populations across Canada and Alaska and the northern United States.
- Found in a variety of wooded habitats including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests. Also found in woodlots, parks, and subur
Region Breeding Range Year-Round Range Canada All provinces and territories Southern British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia United States All states except Hawaii Southern coasts, Gulf Coast states, southwestern states Mexico Northern and central highlands Most of country except northwest region Knowing that Cooper’s hawks occupy habitats across the continent helps identify them. Any medium-sized hawk seen in forested areas is likely a Cooper’s, especially if other features match.
How do Cooper’s hawks differ from sharp-shinned and northern goshawks?
The species most similar to Cooper’s hawks are the sharp-shinned hawk and northern goshawk. Here is how to differentiate them:
Species Size Shape Coloration Hunting Cooper’s hawk Medium – crow-sized Rounded head, medium-length tail Blue-gray back, reddish barred chest Still-hunting and short chases in trees Sharp-shinned hawk Small – pigeon-sized Squared head, short tail Gray back, reddish barred chest Short ambush attacks from cover Northern goshawk Large – raven-sized Rounded head, long tail Slate gray back, finely barred gray chest Fast chases in open and through trees The sharp-shinned is a smaller, more compact version of the Cooper’s, while the goshawk is bulkier and larger. The goshawk also has more fine barring on the chest instead of the reddish barring.
What are some behaviors that can help identify Cooper’s hawks?
Cooper’s hawks exhibit some characteristic behaviors that aid identification:
- Perch hunting – Sitting quietly on an elevated perch watching and listening for prey
- Plucking prey – Plucking feathers off bird prey before consumption
- Nest building – Building a large stick nest high in a tree, often a conifer
- Calls – A loud “kak kak kak” or “kee kee kee” alarm call
- Interactions – Aggressively defending nests from crows, jays, and other potential nest predators
Seeing a medium-sized hawk perched alertly watching for prey or aggressively mobbing crows near a nest are good clues that it may be a Cooper’s hawk. Their vocalizations and interactions with other species are very distinctive.
Conclusion
In summary, Cooper’s hawks can be identified by their medium crow-like size, blue-gray and reddish barred color pattern, rounded head and tail shape, swift forest flight, ambush hunting style, wide North American range, stick nests, and loud calls. Key ID tips are to look for their larger size compared to sharp-shinned hawks, more slender build and longer tail than northern goshawks, and reddish rather than fine gray barring on the chest. Learning their typical behaviors like perch hunting and interactions with other species can also help confirm the ID. With practice, the combination of Cooper’s hawk features, habits, and habitat make them readily identifiable.