Bird of the Week: Cooper's Hawk

Image courtesy of the University of Minnesota

Species: Cooper’s Hawk, Astur cooperii

Family: Accipitridae

Sign: Gemini

Favorite hobby: Practicing for a Top Gun audition

Dear reader,

The Cooper’s Hawk is a common bird of prey in Oregon, a year-round resident, but remains an elusive creature, at least within my sightings at Reed. They are small in comparison to other common hawks, like the red-tailed, and expertly agile and stealthy. With the rounded wings and long tail of an accipiter, Cooper’s Hawks are specialized to maneuver through forests and dart around trees. Unlike many hawks that soar in search of prey, they watch for their meals, usually small to medium-sized birds, from high treetop perches in or on the edges of dense forests. They engage in high-speed pursuits for their prey, and are some of the most skillful fliers of the avian world. While they excel in their tearing lifestyle, it’s not without its risks: in a study of Cooper’s Hawk skeletons, it was found that 23% of 300 showed healed fractures in their chest bones, particularly the furcula. The Cooper’s Hawk can be identified best by its distinctive orange-speckled chest that adults exhibit, as well as their striking red eyes. They have blue-grey wings and head caps, and striped long tails. Cooper’s Hawks are extremely similar in appearance to their smaller relative, the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Their primary, though quite hard to distinguish, difference is the Cooper’s Hawk’s larger and more squared head, different from the smaller and more rounded head of the Sharp-shinned Hawk. They also have a troublingly similar regional distribution, which is why they are famously tricky to identify!

While they used to stray away from cities, Cooper’s Hawks now benefit from the urban sparrows and pigeons that consolidate in cities. In fact, some studies show that their populations are larger in cities and towns than in forests, their natural habitats. Trading their hunting grounds from trees to highrises does have its consequences though: A study in Arizona found that nestlings suffered from a parasitic disease they got from eating doves (Boal, Mannan and Hudelson, 1998). Cooper’s Hawks have also been known to prey on the visitors of backyard bird feeders, happy to partake in an easy meal. 

Cooper’s Hawks have a unique way of killing their prey: through repeated squeezing with their talons. As opposed to other falcon’s biting tactic of subduing, they prefer to hold their prey away from their bodies until they are dead. Like most hawks, female Cooper’s Hawks are larger than their male counterparts, and are a minor danger to unfamiliar males as they specialize in eating medium-sized birds. When paired, the male bird will build the nest and be the sole food provider for the brooding female and the young for the 90 days before the young fledge. 

One Cooper’s Hawk has been known to hunt on campus near the Community Safety Office. I have seen one in the canopy of the edge of the canyon near the north parking lot. These lithe accipiters thrive in the lush forest of the canyon, and though you might not always see them, they will certainly see you.