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Cooper's Hawk: A Guide to Physical Characteristics, Behavior, and Conservation Status

Explore the physical characteristics, behavior, and conservation status of Cooper's Hawks. Learn about their habitat, diet, reproduction, and threats they face. Discover how conservation efforts can help protect these magnificent birds.

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Cooper's Hawk: A Guide to Physical Characteristics, Behavior, and Conservation Status

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  1. Cooper’s hawk Accipiter cooperii Dawson Carter 2/6/2014 Environmental science Pd.3

  2. Physical Characteristics • Length: 14.6–15.4 in Wingspan: 24.4–35.4 in Weight: 7.8–14.5 oz  • With the females being slightly larger then the males • Broad, rounded wings and a very long tail • Adults, steely blue-gray above with warm reddish bars on the underparts and thick dark bands on the tail • Juveniles are brown above and crisply streaked with brown on the upper breast • small knob under the third digit which is unique to this bird.

  3. Life history/reproduction • Live up to 12 years • Eggs are layed between late march and early june • Lay 1 brood with 2-6 eggs • Eggs incubate for 30-36 days • Chicks fledge with in weeks • The chick then fly away and care for themselves • Mature in 3 years

  4. Food & Water • Up to 80% of diet small birds • Rob nests • Supplement diet with small mammals

  5. Habitat • All types of forests • Prefer open stands of trees instead of thick continuous forest • Prefers forest interrupted by meadows and clearings

  6. Distribution

  7. Behavior •  capture prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation •  hunt songbirds at backyard feeders • The Cooper’s Hawks are monogamous, but most do not mate for life • communicate using vocalizations and displays •  Males are usually submissive to females

  8. Predators, parasites, & diseases • Eggs and nestlings are rarely preyed on • Adults are rarely preyed on hunted mainly by larger raptors

  9. Status • Delaware: threatened • Federal: threatened • Cause: pesticide impact on reproduction and over hunting due to them hunting chickens and songbirds. Loss of habitat

  10. Conservation • Banning of pesticides •  now known that predation by these hawks on domestic animals is negligible

  11. Impact if eliminated • American Kestrel recovery • Over population of song birds

  12. References • http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/coopers_hawk/lifehistory • http://www.birds.cornell.edu/bfl/speciesaccts/coohaw.html • http://birds.audubon.org/birds/coopers-hawk • http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/coophawk.htm

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