Cooper's Hawk

Adults have blue-gray upperparts, reddish-brown barring on the underparts, and dark bands on the tail. Immature birds (like the one pictured) are brown above with heavy, brown, tear-shaped streaks on a white breast, and yellowish eyes.

Medium size, long rounded tail with dark bands, relatively large flat-topped head, and reddish-brown barring on adult underparts (or streaked chest in juveniles).

Length: 35-50 cm (14-20 in), Wingspan: 75-90 cm (30-35 in), Weight: 220-680 g (7.8-24 oz). Females are noticeably larger than males.

A rapid, repeated series of low-pitched cackling or alarm notes, often written as 'kak-kak-kak'.

Primarily preys on medium-sized birds (such as doves, pigeons, starlings, and robins) as well as small mammals, captured by surprise attacks.

Deciduous and mixed forests, wooded areas, river groves, and increasingly in suburban neighborhoods and urban parks.

Partial migrant. Northernmost breeders migrate to the southern US and Mexico for winter, while others are year-round residents.

Builds a bulky platform of sticks in a large tree, usually 25 to 50 feet off the ground. Lays 3 to 5 bluish-white eggs per clutch.

Sharp-shinned Hawk, which is smaller with a squared or slightly notched tail, and Northern Goshawk, which is larger and bulkier with a prominent white supercilium.

Acts as an apex avian predator, helping to regulate populations of medium-sized birds and small mammals, maintaining ecosystem balance.

Least Concern, with stable or increasing populations due to successful recovery from past pesticide declines.

Often spotted perched near backyard bird feeders where they hunt prey. Look for quick, powerful bursts of flight interspersed with glides.

Cooper's Hawks are famous for their high-speed, acrobatic aerial pursuits through dense tree canopies, sometimes sustaining high-impact collisions with prey without injury due to thickened skull bones.