Juvenile Cooper's Hawk
COMMON NAME: Cooper's Hawk
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Accipiter cooperii
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS:
Medium-sized hawk from 14 to 20 inches in length. The adults have
a gray/blue back; the underside is white, horizontally streaked with rufous
bars. The head
has a black cap, and there are three black bands on the tail. The outer tail
feathers are shorter than the rest of the tail feathers, giving the tail a rounded
appearance, which -- apart from size -- is the only way to distinguish this bird
from the sharp-shinned hawk. Males and females look the same, but the female
is about one-third larger than the male. The immature birds are brown above and
vertically streaked with brown below. The adult's eye color is orange to red,
while the immature has a yellow eye.
RANGE:
A North American species, Cooper's hawks breed from southern Canada
to the southern part of the U.S. They are a migratory species, but a few remain
in Minnesota
during the winter.
HABITAT:
A forest-dwelling bird found in deciduous woodlands but also seen
in urban areas.
Not uncommon around farm woodlots.
NESTING:
Cooper's hawks build a stick nest high in the middle of a deciduous
tree, usually in the crotch, where it lays from two to five eggs. Cooper's
hawks are known
to return to the same area to nest year after year, although recent studies have
shown that individual birds change mates and nest sites frequently in succeeding
years.
FEEDING:
Known as a predator of birds, the Cooper's hawk also feeds on mammals,
particularly squirrels and chipmunks. Once known as a regular denizen of poultry
yards, it
is one of many "chicken hawks."
RAPTOR CENTER DATA:
An uncommon patient that requires solitude and careful handling.
CONSERVATION
STATUS:
Populations of the Cooper's hawk were thought to be declining as early
as the 1930s. This species has suffered greatly from persecution due to its
poultry-eating
habits. It has also suffered from habitat destruction. It is considered an
endangered species in Wisconsin and Illinois, although recent studies done
in Wisconsin
have found greater numbers of Cooper's hawks than expected. This has led
to a reconsideration of its status in that state.
Other Web Resources:
Northern Goshawk Range
Minnesota Ornithologists' Union bird range map
Additional Information (not specifically about hawks):
Publications
