Cooper's Hawk

This is an adult rectrix from a Cooper's Hawk, a medium-sized forest raptor known for its long tail and rounded wings. Adults have blue-gray backs and rufous-barred underparts. This feather shows the crisp gray and dark-banded pattern of an adult bird.

Features 3-4 distinct, broad, dark brown to charcoal-gray horizontal bands (bars) set against a medium-gray background. The tip is finished with a characteristic thin white terminal band.

Densely interlocked pennaceous barbs along the majority of the vane, transitioning to loose, plumulaceous (downy) barbs near the superior umbilicus at the base.

Smooth and firm texture with a slightly matte finish. The surface is designed for wind resistance and durability during high-speed maneuvering through woodland brush.

Wide, dark horizontal bands; distinctive white terminal tip; elongated and straight rectrix shape; medium-gray base level.

Found in mixed woodlands, deciduous forests, and increasingly in suburban areas where they hunt at backyard bird feeders.

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

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

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, tail feathers usually shorter and tip is more squared off); Northern Goshawk (larger, bands are more wavy and less distinct; background is more mottled).

Cooper's Hawks are 'stealth hunters.' They have evolved short, rounded wings and long tails to act as rudders, allowing them to weave through dense branches at high speeds to catch smaller birds.

Good condition with some minor fraying at the tip and separation of barbs at the base. The bands are crisp, suggesting a relatively recent molt.