Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawks are medium-sized forest raptors known for their long tail and rounded wings. Adults have a blue-gray back and rufous barred underparts, while juveniles are brown with vertical streaks.

Bluish-gray base on the dorsal surface with three visible dark brown/blackish horizontal bands and a thick, dark subterminal band near the white-tipped apex.

Pennaceous; the barbs are tightly interlocked via hooks (barbicels) to create a stiff, wind-resistant surface for steering.

Smooth and stiff to the touch, with a slightly matte finish. The surface is designed to withstand high-velocity air pressure during rapid woodland chases.

Rounded tip with a white terminal edge; wide, distinct dark horizontal bars; bluish-gray ground color; asymmetrical vanes confirming tail position.

Woodlands, mixed forests, and increasingly leafy suburban areas where they hunt backyard songbirds.

Year-round resident across most of the contiguous United States and Mexico; northern populations migrate to the southern U.S. and Central America for winter.

Apex predator of small-to-medium birds and mammals; helps maintain healthy songbird populations by removing the weak and sick.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, tail feathers are shorter and tip is usually squared off rather than rounded) and Northern Goshawk (much larger, different banding pattern).

Cooper's Hawks are 'stealth hunters.' A study found that over 20% of Cooper's Hawks examined had healed fractures in their chest bones, likely from high-speed collisions with trees while chasing prey.

Fair to Good. There are visible separations in the barbs (splits) on the trailing edge, suggesting it was molted naturally or handled by wind/debris on the ground.