Cooper's Hawk

A medium-sized hawk with broad, rounded wings and a long, banded tail. Adults have a blue-gray back and rufous-barred underparts.

Greyish-brown base with three distinct broad, dark brown/blackish horizontal bands and a lighter grayish terminal tip

Pennaceous; tightly interlocked barbs along the majority of the vane, transitioning to a small plumulaceous section near the calamus

Smooth, stiff, and matte; the surface is designed for durability and air resistance during rapid flight maneuvers

Distinctive dark horizontal banding on a gray-brown background with a rounded tip; larger than Sharp-shinned Hawk feathers

Woodlands, forest edges, and increasingly common in leafy suburban areas and backyards with bird feeders

Common across North America, from Southern Canada through most of the United States to Central Mexico

Apex avian predator, primarily feeding on medium-sized birds like doves and jays; helps regulate prey populations

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, square tail tip) and Northern Goshawk (much larger, more mottled pattern)

Cooper's Hawks are 'sprinters,' using their long tails like rudders to maneuver through dense branches at high speeds to catch prey.

Good condition; showing slight wear on the outer edges and a small amount of 'zip' separation in the barbs (ventral side)