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Coopers Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Photo by MaryEvans2
Published on Project Noah
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30.4381, -84.2809

Field Notes

Description:

A medium-sized hawk with the classic accipiter shape: broad, rounded wings and a very long tail. In Cooper’s Hawks, the head often appears large, the shoulders broad, and the tail rounded.
Color Pattern

Adults are steely blue-gray above with warm reddish bars on the underparts and thick dark bands on the tail. Juveniles are brown above and crisply streaked with brown on the upper breast, giving them a somewhat hooded look compared with young Sharp-shinned Hawks' more diffuse streaking.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/id/ac

Habitat:

Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide. With their smaller lookalike, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawks make for famously tricky identifications.

Notes:

There was much conversation about these photos which I had posted on another site as to whether this is a Coopers or a Sharp-shinned. It was decided that this is a Coopers.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)

Great spott!!!! Except for the fact that these guys hunt and eat at birdfeeders, they are the prettiest birds I've spotted. Of course I want them to eat, but not the other pretty birds at my bird feeders. :-P

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