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D & D Wildlife Photography
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The Cooper's Hawk is a medium sized, long, lean-bodied accipiter similar but larger than the Sharp-shinned Hawk. The adult Cooper's Hawk is blue grey above with a dark crown and lighter back. Its underparts are white with heavy rufous colored barring. This hawk has a distinctly rounded tail that ends with a wide white terminal band. Depending upon age, its eyes are yellowish-orange to red in color. Juveniles have yellowish eyes and fine streaking on the breast.During breeding season, the Cooper's Hawk has regular feeding routes where it hunts for Mourning Doves or jays and starlings. It nests on a platform nest of sticks lined with bark, placed in a tree ten to seventy feet high, and lays three to six pale blue eggs with dark marks.
Length: 16 inches
Wingspan: 28 to 30 inches
Habitat: Mixed forests and open woodland.
Voice: Loud, repeated, high "kek kek kek kek" notes given during alarm or during pair interactions.
Other Behavior: May show up at bird feeders, especially in winter, when it roams more widely for food.
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