Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperiiOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)

Codes: Common Name: COHA Scientific Name: ACCCOO ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175309

Head

Topo Map: Hawk-like Head

Bill Shape: Hooked
Eye Color: Yellow or light orange in yearlings, shifting progressively to darker shades of orange and red with age.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped, Plain
Crown Color: Dark Gray
Forehead Color: Dark Gray
Nape Color: Blue-gray
Throat Color: White
Cere color: Yellow

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Body

Topo Map: Hawk-like Body

Length Range: 36-53 cm (14-21 in)
Weight: 349 g (12.3 oz)
Size: Size 4. Large (16 - 32 in)
Color: White, Brown, Black, Gray, Rufous or Rust
Underparts: White with orange barring.
Upperparts: Blue-gray
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Barred or banded
Breast Pattern: Barred or banded

Flight

Topo Map: Hawk-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Soars on thermals., Rapid wing beats followed by short glide.
Wingspan Range: 69-91 cm (27-36 in)
Wing Shape: Rounded-Wings
Tail Shape: Rounded Tail
Tail Pattern: Dark bars and white band.
Upper Tail: Black and white.
Under Tail: Black and white.
Leg Color: Yellow

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk: Medium, agile hawk with dark blue-gray back and white underparts with many fine rufous bars. Cap is darker than upperparts. Eyes are red. The tail is long with thick black-and-white bands. Legs and feet are yellow. Alternates rapid wing beats and short glides, often soars on thermals.

● Song: "kac-kac-kac", "kuck, kuck kuck, kuck"

● Foraging & Feeding: Cooper's Hawk: Feeds mostly on birds, but also takes small mammals. Perches, waits, and quickly swoops down to seize prey; also pursues prey on the ground, half running, and half flying; known for raiding poultry yards.

● Breeding & nesting: Cooper's Hawk: Lays four to five brown spotted, pale blue or green eggs in a stick nest high in a deciduous tree, usually 20 to 60 feet above the ground; returns to the same area to nest year after year. Female incubates eggs for approximately 28 days; male brings her food during incubation.

● Similar species: Cooper's Hawk: Sharp-shinned Hawk has shorter, notched tail, smaller head, and less contrast between back and crown.

Flight Pattern

Soars on thermals., Rapid wing beats followed by short glide.

● Range & Habitat: Cooper's Hawk: Breeds from southern Canada to southern U.S. Prefers patchy deciduous and mixed forests.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationUncommon to rare, Stable or increasing in most areas

^MigrationSome migrate

^Weight12.3 Ounces

Hawk-like Head

Hawk-like Body

Hawk-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Cooper's Hawk

Head

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Body

Flight

Cooper's Hawk

Flight Pattern