Cooper's Hawk (Chicken Hawk)

This is a signature tail feather from a medium-sized forest hawk. Cooper's Hawks are 'true hawks' characterized by short, rounded wings and long tails that allow them to thread through dense vegetation while chasing prey. Adults have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts.

Features 3-4 broad, dark grayish-brown or 'slate' bands alternating with lighter silvery-gray bands. The tip shows a distinct, thin white terminal band which is a classic field mark for this species.

The distal portion is pennaceous with tightly interlocking barbs for flight stability, while the proximal base (calamus area) features soft, plumulaceous downy barbs.

The surface is smooth and matte with a firm, slightly stiff texture to the touch. The leading edge is tightly knit to maintain aerodynamic integrity.

Bold, even horizontal banding; distinct white tip (terminal band); rounded tip shape; and a length significantly larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk but smaller than a Goshawk.

Found in mixed and deciduous forests, open woodlands, and increasingly in suburban areas where backyard bird feeders provide a concentrated food source.

Year-round resident across much of the United States and southern Canada; northern populations migrate to the southern US and Central America for winter.

Apex avian predator in woodland and suburban ecosystems; helps regulate the populations of medium-sized birds (doves, jays, starlings) and small mammals.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, tail tip usually square rather than rounded); Northern Goshawk (much larger, more irregular wavy banding and marbling).

Cooper's Hawks are specialized hunters of other birds. They have been known to fly at full speed into dense briars or even through open windows to catch their prey.

Good to Fair. The feather shows some minor fraying at the edges and separation of barbs (splits), suggesting it was molted naturally rather than lost to trauma.