Cooper's Hawk

Male
Female

Year-round

Size
16.5"
Listen
Plumage / Description

Adult male and female plumage similar, although females are substantially larger than males.Adult plumage includes a dark crown, slaty-blue-gray back and wings, and pronounced horizontal barring on tail, with alternating dark and light bands.Breast is a rich golden-orange color, with extensive fluffy white under-tail coverts.Juvenile plumage is very different from adults.In juvenile phase the head, back and wings are brown, with flecks of white feathers interspersed.The breast has dark brown vertical streaking over a solid white breast.Juveniles have the same barred tail as adults, and also have extensive white in under-tail coverts.

Habitat

Adult male and female plumage similar, although females are substantially larger than males.Adult plumage includes a dark crown, slaty-blue-gray back and wings, and pronounced horizontal barring on tail, with alternating dark and light bands.Breast is a rich golden-orange color, with extensive fluffy white under-tail coverts.Juvenile plumage is very different from adults.In juvenile phase the head, back and wings are brown, with flecks of white feathers interspersed.The breast has dark brown vertical streaking over a solid white breast.Juveniles have the same barred tail as adults, and also have extensive white in under-tail coverts.

Relative Abundance

Common

Behavior

Cooper's Hawks are a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeding areas where they hunt for their preferred diet:Gambel's Quail and Mourning Dove.Cooper's Hawks are known to drive birds into large picture windows, then swoop down and pick up the either stunned or dead prey.

Diet

Birds, small mammals

Similar Species

Sharp-shinned Hawks

Best Sites

Residential settings, Granite Creek Park, Watson Woods, Acker Park