Cooper’s Hawk – 10/1/11

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 10/1/11

Observation Time: 9:10 a.m.

Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road

Common Name: Cooper’s hawk

Scientific Name: Accipiter cooperii

Comments: This juvenile female Cooper’s hawk alit in the dogwood tree right outside my living room window as I was working at my desk. Without getting up, I reached for my camera and snapped this photo through the window just before it flew away.

Cooper’s hawks look like Sharp-shinned hawks, but Cooper’s hawks have a more rounded tail. Also, the streaks on the breast of a juvenile Cooper’s hawk are narrower than those on the breast of a sharp-shinned hawk.

More Information: All About Birds