Coopers Hawk

by D Hackett

Title

Coopers Hawk

Artist

D Hackett

Medium

Photograph - Digital

Description

Coopers Hawk by D Hackett

Among the bird world￿s most skillful fliers, 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. Both species are sometimes unwanted guests at bird feeders, looking for an easy meal (but not one of sunflower seeds).

Cooper￿s Hawks are forest and woodland birds, but our leafy suburbs seem nearly as good. These lanky hawks are a regular sight in parks, quiet neighborhoods, over fields, at backyard feeders, and even along busy streets if there are trees around.

Cooper￿s Hawks mainly eat birds. Small birds are safer around Cooper￿s Hawks than medium-sized birds: studies list European Starlings, Mourning Doves, and Rock Pigeons as common targets along with American Robins, several kinds of jays, Northern Flicker, and quail, pheasants, grouse, and chickens. Cooper￿s Hawks sometimes rob nests and also eat chipmunks, hares, mice, squirrels, and bats. Mammals are more common in diets of Cooper￿s Hawks in the West.

Uploaded

May 15th, 2015

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags