Cooper’s Hawk

We frequently see the amazing Cooper’s Hawk in our garden. Learn more about this amazing bird.

Latin name: Accipiter cooperii

Length, wingspan: 16.5″, 31″

What they eat: Carnivorous (birds, rodents)

Plants that attract: Woodlands, densely-planted areas, bird activity at feeding stations

Where they nest: Tall coniferous trees, some deciduous trees such as oaks

My observations: Cooper’s hawks are slightly larger than Sharp-shinned hawks and smaller than Northern Goshawks, all of which are Accipiters. We see the Cooper’s hawks year-round in our garden. They like to cruise through it every so often, being attracted to all of the activity at our bird feeders. They eat small to medium-sized birds, as well as small rodents, and lead pretty secretive lives. As immature birds, they have golden eyes. Once mature, those eyes take on a bit of an eery look since they turn red. But it’s a treat seeing them in the garden. I’m always tickled when they land in a nearby tree so I can secretly snap a photo or two of them!

In this video, watch a Cooper’s hawk looking around for potential prey while sitting in one of our locust trees:

For more details about this bird, go to Cornell’s All About Birds website.

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