Cooper's Hawk

This feather belongs to a Cooper's Hawk, a agile raptor roughly the size of a crow. Adults have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts, while juveniles are brownish with vertical streaks. They are known for their long tails and rounded wings.

Features a dark brown to charcoal-gray upper surface with distinct, broad dark horizontal bands (bars). The underside is paler, silvery-gray with lighter versions of the banding. The tip shows a dark subterminal band.

Mostly pennaceous and tightly interlocked for flight efficiency, transitioning to a soft, fluffy plumulaceous structure at the base (superior umbilicus) for insulation.

The dorsal surface has a smooth, matte finish that feels somewhat stiff to the touch. The leading edge is slightly more rigid than the trailing edge to resist air pressure.

Distinct charcoal-brown banding, rounded tip, and a pale rachis are diagnostic for Accipitridae, with the size specifically narrowing it to a Cooper's Hawk over the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Found in various wooded habitats including deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests, as well as leafy suburbs, parks, and backyard gardens where songbirds (their primary prey) are present.

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

Apex avian predator in woodland and suburban ecosystems; they play a vital role in controlling populations of small-to-medium birds and rodents.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) feathers are nearly identical but significantly smaller. Red-shouldered Hawk feathers have more high-contrast white spotting/banding.

Cooper's Hawks are 'sprinters,' using short bursts of high-speed flight and incredible agility to chase down smaller birds through dense foliage. They were once heavily persecuted but have adapted remarkably well to urban life.

The feather appears to be in Good to Excellent condition. The barbs are mostly intact with minimal fraying at the tip, suggesting it was recently molted rather than lost due to trauma.

Floating in pool. Santa Barbara, CA