Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a medium-sized North American accipiter built for fast flight through trees and suburbs. It has short rounded wings, a long banded tail, and a slim body compared with broader soaring hawks. Adults are blue-gray above with warm reddish barring below and a dark cap, while juveniles are brown with streaked underparts. Females are noticeably larger than males, a size difference that can confuse identifications with sharp-shinned hawks or northern goshawks. Its main prey is birds, though it also takes small mammals.

As a native raptor, Cooper's hawk is protected and should be handled only by licensed rehabilitators, falconers, researchers, or educators where permits allow. Rehabilitation centers commonly see window strikes, vehicle injuries, and young birds grounded during the nesting season. Falconry use requires secure housing, appropriate quarry, and experience with a high-strung woodland hunter rather than a display animal. For homeowners, the most practical stewardship is reducing glass collisions and understanding that a hawk visiting a feeder is following the concentration of sparrows, doves, and other prey.