Cooper's Hawk

This feather belongs to the Cooper's Hawk, a medium-sized forest raptor known for its incredible agility. Adult Cooper's Hawks have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts. They are famous for their 'stealth' hunting style, weaving through dense branches at high speeds to surprise smaller birds. The broad dark bands on this primary feather are a classic diagnostic mark of the genus Accipiter.

Distinctive alternating bands of dark fuscous-brown and light grayish-white. The dark bands are broader than the light bands. The underside (ventral) is paler than the top (dorsal) surface. The tip is dark.

Pennaceous barbs that are tightly interlocked via hooklets (barbicels) for flight integrity, transitioning to a small amount of plumulaceous (downy) structure at the very base of the calamus.

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat glossy on the dorsal surface. The leading edge feels particularly rigid to slice through the air, while the trailing edge is slightly more flexible.

Strongly asymmetrical vanes, roughly 5-6 broad dark bands, and a stiff, dark rachis that lightens toward the base.

Primarily found in deciduous and mixed forests, but increasingly common in suburban areas and urban parks where bird feeders attract its prey.

Widespread throughout North America, breeding from southern Canada through the United States to central Mexico. Northern populations are migratory.

Top-tier avian predator. They play a vital role in regulating the populations of smaller birds and mammals, acting as an indicator of a healthy, prey-rich ecosystem.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) feathers are very similar but significantly smaller and thinner; Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) feathers are larger with more mottled or wavy barring.

Cooper's Hawks are named after naturalist William Cooper. They are sometimes called 'chicken hawks,' though they mostly eat medium-sized birds like robins and flickers. A study found that many Cooper's Hawks have healed fractures in their chest bones, likely from high-speed collisions with branches while chasing prey.

Excellent condition; the barbs are fully intact with no visible fault bars or parasitic damage, suggesting a healthy bird and a clean molt.