Cooper's Hawk

This feather belongs to the Cooper's Hawk, a medium-sized forest hawk built for agility. Adult Cooper's Hawks feature blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts, with a long, banded tail. Their flight is characterized by a 'flap-flap-glide' pattern as they navigate dense foliage.

Distinctive bold horizontal banding (barring). The dark bands are deep chocolate brown to charcoal, while the light interspaces are white to pale cream. The tip is dark brown. The underside is generally paler with more muted contrast.

Densely pennaceous across the majority of the vane for aerodynamic integrity, transitioning to plumulaceous (downy) at the very base (calamus area). Barbs are tightly interlocked with hooklets.

Stiff and smooth to the touch, with a slight matte luster. The trailing edge is flexible, while the leading edge is very rigid to withstand air pressure during flight.

Bold, clean dark-and-white banding; outer vane significantly narrower than inner vane; stiff rachis; sized larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk but smaller than a Goshawk.

Woodlands, forest edges, and increasingly common in leafy suburban areas and urban parks where bird feeders attract their prey.

Found throughout North America, from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. Northern populations are migratory, while southern ones are year-round residents.

Apex avian predator in woodland ecosystems. They help regulate songbird populations and serve as an indicator for healthy, diverse forest and suburban habitats.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, less robust rachis) and Northern Goshawk (larger, usually with more marbled or wavy barring patterns).

Cooper's Hawks are 'true hawks' or accipiters, specialized in hunting other birds. They can maneuver through thick brush at high speeds, often using their long tails as a rudder.

Good to Excellent. The feather appears freshly molted with very little fraying or UV bleaching. The calamus is clean, suggesting a natural molt rather than a forced removal.