Cooper's Hawk

This is a classic tail feather from a Cooper's Hawk, a agile woodland predator. The bird itself is medium-sized with broad, rounded wings and a very long, banded tail used as a rudder during high-speed chases through dense vegetation. Adults have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts.

Distinctive bold horizontal banding (barring); alternating wide bands of dark grayish-brown and pale off-white/light gray. The tip shows a faint white terminal band characteristic of the species.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs providing a stiff, airfoil surface; plumulaceous (downy) barbs present only at the very base near the calamus.

Smooth, firm, and somewhat glossy on the dorsal surface; matte and paler on the ventral side. Leading edges are crisp and aerodynamic.

Bold, even-width dark and light banding; rounded feather tip with a thin white terminal edge; size larger than Sharp-shinned Hawk but smaller than Goshawk feathers.

Found in various woodland types, from deep forests to leafy suburban parks and backyards where prey is abundant.

Common across North America, from Southern Canada through the United States to Central Mexico. Northern populations are migratory.

Apex avian predator of small-to-medium birds and mammals. They serve as a critical control on songbird and rodent populations.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, less white at tip), Northern Goshawk (larger, more mottled/wavy barring), Broad-winged Hawk (wider bands, shorter feather).

Cooper's Hawks are 'sprinters' of the bird world, capable of amazing aerial maneuvers. They are often seen at backyard bird feeders—not for the seeds, but for the smaller birds gathered there.

Good condition; minor fraying at the tip and base. The bands are crisp, suggesting a relatively fresh molt.