Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Quick Identification guide
Quick Identification guide
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The rounded wings and moderately long tail with broad white bands are distinctive features
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Adults possess a dark cap, contrasting with their pale nape and rufous underparts
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Their hooked beak and intense yellow-orange eyes contribute to their sharp appearance
What does a Cooper's hawk sound like?
The Cooper’s hawk exhibits a distinct vocalization characterized by a loud, repetitious 'cack-cack-cack-cack' sound. Its call pattern is flat and simple, typically emitted as chatter or a scream. This call is emblematic of its assertive communication style and is most often heard during territorial disputes or mating rituals.
Description
If you look up the meaning of the word fast, there might be a picture of a Cooper's hawk! But this speed comes at a price, and all that zooming around to catch prey often results in chest fractures. Ouch! As with most raptor species, males are smaller than females. And females eat medium-sized birds! So males here are pretty submissive – it pays to be careful. They build the nest and feed the female and the chicks.
The Cooper's hawk can weigh between 275to667grams and be from34to51centimeters tall.
The Cooper's hawk typically lives 12 years in the wild, but can survive up to 20 years in captivity. This lifespan is relatively longer than some related species like the Sharp-shinned hawk, which typically live 7-10 years. Despite this, larger hawks like the Red-tailed hawk can outlive the Cooper's hawk with a lifespan of 20+ years.
Did you know?
Most popular questions about Cooper's hawk
How to recognise a Cooper's hawk?
General appearance
The Cooper’s hawk is a medium-sized bird, about the size of a crow, or a mallard or herring gull. It measures between 14-20 inches in length with a wingspan of 28 inches. The adult Cooper’s hawk is blue-gray above and pale reddish below. The species overall has a broad rounded wing shape and a long, rounded tail shape.
Male vs female
Apart from the general size difference, there are not many distinct variations between male and female Cooper’s hawks. Both sexes are blue-gray above and pale reddish below. One slight difference is in the tail’s end: females may show a more rounded tip than males. They also sport a more contrasting dark cap.
Juvenile
Juvenile Cooper’s hawks are brown above and striped below. They differ from adults in their coloration as they lack the blue-gray and pale reddish hues. Their streakings are sharper and darker on a white chest. As they age, however, the juveniles will take on the mature, adults' blue-gray, and pale reddish coloration.
Breeding and nesting habits of the Cooper's hawk
Mating behaviors
During courtship, both male and female Cooper’s hawks perform flights over their territory featuring slow, exaggerated wingbeats. Additionally, the male engages in feeding the female for up to a month before the laying of eggs begins.
Nesting details
The Cooper’s hawk builds its nest in trees, either deciduous or coniferous, at heights typically ranging from 25 to 50 feet above ground. Nests are often placed on pre-existing foundations like old nests of large birds or squirrels, or in clumps of mistletoe. Constructed possibly by both sexes, the nests are bulky structures of sticks, lined with softer materials such as bark strips.
Eggs and chick-rearing
After nest construction and egg-laying, the female incubates the eggs while the male provides food. Once hatched, chicks are dependent on parents for feeding and protection.
What does a Cooper's hawk like to eat?
Birds
Small animals
Natural diet
The Cooper's hawk primarily feeds on birds and small mammals. It mainly targets medium-sized birds, like robins, jays, and flickers, but also captures larger and smaller birds when available. In addition to birds, the Cooper's hawk's diet includes various small mammals such as chipmunks, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, mice, and bats. Occasionally, it may consume reptiles and insects as well.
Bird feeders
While Cooper's hawks do not typically consume the seeds or food from bird feeders, they may frequent areas with feeders to prey on the smaller birds that are attracted to these feeding sites.
Invite cooper's hawks with snacks
Cooper's hawks are primarily bird hunters, with a diet rich in smaller birds. Attract smaller birds to your yard by offering Bird Buddy seeds in feeders, as they are select seasonal choices by experts which are appealing to a variety of small birds. Remember, attracting Cooper's hawks will inadvertently attract these smaller visiting birds.
Setting up the perfect feeder
Because Cooper’s Hawks prey on smaller birds, they are more likely to visit bird feeders that attract their prey. Install a bird feeder in your yard, preferably one that is easily accessible from perches like tall trees or structures from which the hawk can swoop down. Fill the feeders with Bird Buddy seeds, as they are specialist-selected and seasonally apt to attract a variety of smaller birds.
A yard fit for a hawk
Spruce up your yard to make it habitable. Hawks prefer open areas with sparse vegetation and plenty of perches. Create an open space in your yard where they can hunt and several high perches or 'lookouts' from which they can observe the area. A well-placed bird bath could provide an additional incentive for hawks and their prey to visit your yard.
Enhance your yard with a cooper's hawk call
Play recordings of Cooper’s hawk calls. These can encourage local hawks to investigate and potentially stick around. Be considerate of your neighbors when doing this and avoid doing it too often, as it might cause the hawks to become accustomed to the noise and ignore it.
Sing-along with the cooper’s hawks
If you're quite musical, playing some soft, melodious tunes could attract Cooper’s Hawks out of curiosity. However, be aware that sudden loud noises might scare them away.
Where can you find Cooper’s hawks?
Primary habitat
The Cooper’s hawk primarily inhabits mature forests, open woodlands, and wood edges with tall trees, across coniferous, deciduous, and mixed woods. It often selects areas with both tree cover and nearby openings or edges.
Additional range
Besides, this bird species extends its range to river groves in open areas, and even into suburban and urban settings where tall trees are present. During the winter, it may be found in relatively open landscapes, especially in the west.
Do they migrate?
The Cooper’s Hawk, a medium-sized bird of prey found across North America, exhibits both migratory and resident behavior depending on its geographic location. In the southern parts of its range, the Cooper's Hawk tends to stay year-round. However, the northernmost populations, particularly those breeding in Canada and the northern United States, migrate south to escape harsh winter conditions. Migration occurs during the daytime, utilizing thermals and updrafts to aid their flight. During fall, these hawks often migrate along distinct routes, concentrating along mountain ridges and coastlines. These geographical features provide favorable wind conditions and abundant prey, making the migration more efficient. Key migration corridors include the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Coast in the eastern United States, as well as similar pathways in the western parts of the continent, such as the Pacific Coast and the Rocky Mountains. The timing of migration typically begins in late September and peaks in October, with the hawks returning to their breeding grounds in March or April. These migration patterns allow the Cooper's Hawk to adapt to seasonal changes in food availability and environmental conditions.
What is the role of Cooper’s hawks in nature and how to protect them?
Conservation status
The Cooper's hawk experienced a population decline in the mid-20th century, likely due to the effects of DDT and other pesticides. Since then, the population has shown some recovery and is now considered stable in most areas. While not currently classified as vulnerable or endangered, continued monitoring is crucial. Key conservation efforts include maintaining healthy habitats and regulating pesticide use. Despite the recovery, the species still faces potential threats from habitat destruction and environmental contaminants, emphasizing the need for ongoing conservation vigilance.
Ecological role of Cooper’s hawks
Its role in the ecosystem
The Cooper’s hawk plays a significant role in maintaining the balance in its ecosystem. With a diet largely composed of birds and small mammals such as chipmunks, tree squirrels, mice, and bats, it contributes to pest control by regulating populations that could otherwise breed uncontrollably and negatively affect ecosystems. Coopers hawks' predation helps to keep the populations of these species in check, preventing the potential for over-population and ensuring a diverse and vibrant ecosystem. In addition to its primary role as an apex predator, the Cooper's hawk also participates in seed dispersal indirectly. When birds and rodents consumed by the Cooper's hawk carry seeds from the fruits they eat, the seeds can be dispersed when the hawk expels them. This contributes to the growth of new plants, aiding in biodiversity and the overall health and sustainability of its habitat.
How to help protect Cooper’s hawks
Preservation tips
Habitat preservation strategies
Promoting the conservation of the Cooper’s hawk can be advanced through habitat preservation strategies. Limit development in areas where the species is known to live, ensuring forests and woodlands are kept intact. Maintain older trees with dense canopy cover, which provide ideal nesting sites for hawks. Implement sustainable logging practices to reduce habitat degradation. Encourage local authorities to establish protected areas to help conserve the species.
Community science initiatives
Participation in community science initiatives can contribute significantly to Cooper’s hawk conservation. Encourage residents to report sightings in a citizen science database. Involve local schools in hawk observation projects to raise kids' awareness. Hold community seminars about the importance of the hawk in the local ecology. Solicit volunteers for nest-monitoring projects to gather data on population trends. Everyone can play a part in protecting this species through conscious actions and committed participation.