Cooper's Hawk
Astur cooperii
Cooper's Hawks are masters of flight; they have been known to fly through dense brush at high speeds, often sustaining small fractures in their wishbones from collisions.
- Scientific name
- Astur cooperii
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Astur
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, as well as leafy suburban parks and backyards.
- Diet
- Primarily medium-sized birds such as starlings, mourning doves, and jays; occasionally small mammals.
- Range
- North America, Southern Canada, United States, Mexico
- Size
- Length: 35-50 cm; Wingspan: 62-90 cm; Weight: 220-600g.
- Lifespan
- Typically 8-12 years in the wild.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Window collisions, habitat fragmentation, and secondary poisoning from lead or pesticides.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans but can be defensive near nests. Maintain a distance of 15-20 feet. If you find an injured hawk, do not handle it with bare hands as their talons are extremely sharp; contact a local wildlife rehabilitator immediately.
Cooper's hawk ( Astur cooperii ) is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from southern Canada to Mexico. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter . As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female. The birds found east of the Mississippi River tend to be larger on average than the birds found to the west. It is easily confused with the smaller but similar sharp-shinned hawk. ( Accipiter...
Photo: Becky Matsubara, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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