Cooper's Hawk (Chicken Hawk)

This feather belongs to the Cooper's Hawk, a medium-sized raptor known for its agile flight through dense trees. Adults have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts, while this tail feather shows the characteristic 'barred' look used for identification in flight.

Distinctive bold banding with alternating thick dark brownish-gray (charcoal) and lighter silvery-white to pale gray bands. The tip typically features a narrow white terminal band, which is visible here but slightly worn.

Pennaceous; tightly interlocked barbs creating a stiff, wind-resistant vane. The base shows a small plumulaceous (downy) section for insulation. Barbs are generally intact with minor fraying at the tip.

Smooth and stiff upper surface with a matte finish. The vane is firm but flexible enough to withstand high-speed flight through woodland canopy.

Wide, even dark-and-light banding and a relatively straight, narrow shape. Much larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk feather but similarly patterned.

Mixed forests, woodlots, and increasingly common in suburban backyards where they hunt at bird feeders.

Year-round resident throughout much of the United States and Mexico; northern populations migrate south from Canada during winter.

Apex predator of small-to-medium birds and mammals. They help control populations of starlings, pigeons, and rodents.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, thinner bands), Red-shouldered Hawk (more narrow white bands), and Northern Goshawk (much larger, more mottled gray).

Cooper's Hawks are 'accipiters' or forest hawks; they have short wings and long tails that act like a rudder, allowing them to chase prey through thick brush at high speeds.

Good condition. There is minor wear at the distal tip (apical fraying), likely from contact with vegetation while hunting. No visible fault bars.