Cooper's Hawk

This feather belongs to a medium-sized hawk known as a 'true hawk' or accipiter. These birds have short, rounded wings and long tails designed for agile flight through dense vegetation. Adults have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts.

Features 3-4 distinct dark brown to charcoal-gray horizontal bands (bars) alternating with lighter silvery-gray or cream-colored bands. The tip typically features a narrow white terminal band, though it may be worn down.

The distal portion is pennaceous with tightly interlocked barbs for flight stability, while the proximal base (near the calamus) is plumulaceous (fluffy/downy).

Smooth and matte on the dorsal surface with a slightly waxy, water-repellent finish. The stiff texture provides the necessary rigidity for aerial maneuvers.

Distinctive thick dark-and-light banding and a rounded tip. Unlike Buteo feathers, Accipiter tail feathers are disproportionately long and narrow relative to their width.

Found in various woodland types, ranging from deep forests to leafy suburban parks and backyards where bird feeders are present.

Year-round resident throughout most of the contiguous United States and Mexico; northern populations in Canada and the northern US migrate south for winter.

An apex avian predator. They play a crucial role in regulating populations of small to medium-sized birds (such as doves and starlings) and small mammals.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) feathers are nearly identical but significantly smaller and usually have a more squared-off tail tip. Red-shouldered Hawk feathers have thinner, high-contrast white bands.

The Cooper's Hawk is a specialist in hunting other birds; they are known for their 'dashing' flight style, often weaving through tree canopies at high speeds to surprise prey.

Good condition. There is slight fraying at the trailing edge of the vane, suggesting some minor wear from flight or preening. No visible fault bars.