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Cooper's Hawk
(Accipiter cooperii)
Banded December, 1998 Carmel, Indiana
General Information
The Cooper's Hawk, is a crow sized accipiter very similar to the
smaller, robin or pigeon sized Sharp-shinned Hawk. It was named by Charles Bonaparte in
1828 after William Cooper, who collected the specimens that were used to describe the
species.
A bird of mixed forests and open woodlands, they are found across the USA, Mexico and
southern Canada through Central America to Costa Rica. This raptor is the scourage of the
backyard bird feeding enthusiast, especially in winter months, when they flash through
backyards to snatch an unwary songbird from a feeding station. They can be a problem at a
banding station as well when they get caught while attempting to take songbirds caught in
nets or traps, as this individual did.
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The Cooper's Hawk is from 14 to 21 inches
long, with a wingspan of from 27 to 36 inches. The male, smaller than the female, is about
the same size as the female Sharp-shinned Hawk.
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Figure 1 - Cooper's Hawk
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Figure 2 - Cooper's Hawk
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The eyes of the Cooper's Hawk are yellow to
deep red. The crown is black. The hooked bill is well adapted to tearing the flesh of its
favorite prey such as chipmunks, squirrels and other small mammals, and various bird
species including starlings, flickers, robins and Mourning Doves. |
The back is blue gray, and the tail, crossed
by several dark bands, has a distinct white band at its tip.
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Figure 3 - Cooper's Hawk
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Figure 4 - Cooper's Hawk
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The eyes of this hawk, like most predatory
birds, face forward, giving it good depth perception for hunting and catching prey while
flying at high speeds.
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The business end of a raptor is its powerful
feet and talons. These long, needle sharp weapons are well adapted to grasping prey, and
can inflict a nasty wound to a careless handler. |
Figure 5 - Cooper's Hawk Talons
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Figure 6 - Cooper's Hawk Underwing
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The white breast and belly are crossed by
reddish bars. |
Nesting Behavior
The male Cooper's Hawk, sometimes assisted by the female, builds a platform nest of
sticks and twigs from 20 to 60 feet above ground level in a tree located in a wooded area.
From 4 to 6 eggs, incubated by the female, hatch in about 5 weeks. During this time, the
male brings food to the female. After the eggs hatch, both parents tend the young who
leave the nest after four to five weeks. Parents continue to provide food until the young
become independent at about 8 weeks.
Banding Recoveries
The Bird Banding Lab web site reports that between 1955 and 1997, a total of 51,650 Cooper's Hawks were banded. Of these, 1,465
have been recovered, a recovery rate of 2.84%. Banding studies show that Cooper's Hawks
can live more than 7 years in the wild. They are migratory but winter across most of the
USA.
If you should recover a banded bird, please report the band number to the Bird Banding
Lab by calling 1-800-327-BAND.
Economic Importance and Conservation Status
Cooper's Hawk populations are recovering after suffering serious
declines in the 1940’s and 1950’s as a result of pesticide impact on
reproductive success. They can be a problem around poultry farms where they may help
themselves to unwary chickens, but by preying on wild birds, and rodents, they help keep
populations of wild birds and rodents in check.
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All images are courtesy of CWBO. All image copyrights are owned by CWBO.
Any use of these images must have permission of CWBO. |
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