Cooper's Hawk (Alternate: Chicken Hawk, Big Blue Darter)

This is a primary flight feather from a Cooper's Hawk, a medium-sized woodland raptor known for its incredible agility. The bird is characterized by a long, barred tail and rounded wings. Adults have a blue-gray back and rufous-barred underparts, while juveniles are brown and streaky. Their flight involves a characteristic 'flap-flap-glide' pattern.

Alternating broad bands of dark slate-gray to brownish-charcoal and lighter silvery-white to pale gray. Usually 5-7 dark bands are visible. The underside is notably paler and more silvery than the dorsal surface.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout the majority of the vane for aerodynamic integrity; smaller plumulaceous (downy) barbs at the very base (calamus area).

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat glossy. The surface feels resilient to the touch, designed for high-speed maneuvering through woodland environments.

Distinctive 'zebra-striping' or banding; narrow leading edge relative to the trailing edge; stiff rachis; silvery sheen on the ventral (under) side.

Deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests; increasingly common in suburban backyard areas with tall trees and bird feeders.

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

Apex avian predator in woodland and suburban ecosystems. They help regulate populations of smaller birds and mammals. Currently stable and expanding in urban areas.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (smaller, thinner rachis), Red-shouldered Hawk (more translucent 'windows' and different banding spacing), and Northern Goshawk (larger, more mottled/less crisp banding).

Cooper's Hawks are 'acrobats of the air.' They are specialized hunters of mid-sized birds and can navigate dense forest canopies at high speeds, often using their long tails as rudders.

Good to Excellent. The vane is mostly intact with minimal fraying at the tip. No significant 'fault bars' (stress marks) are visible, suggesting a healthy molt cycle.