Credit: Greg Schneider
North American field guide
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
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Identification
Field notes
36-51 cm (14-20") Uncommon and widespread. Woodlands and river groves.
Crow-sized accipiter. Slaty gray above with a darker cap; barred rusty and white below; undertail coverts white; rounded tail with straight bands and broad white tip.
Flies with flaps mixed with glides on short rounded wings. Told from smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk by longer rounded tail.
Immature: brown above; finely streaked below; yellow eyes.
Song: loud "kek-kek-kek-kek".
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Videos
Cooper's Hawk
Credit: Don DesJardinIdentifying Raptors
Credit: petersonfieldguidesWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants · 4 rules
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Cooper's Hawk
2 rulesRule 1 9 criteria · confidence 4
- How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
- In flight
- What SHAPE were the wings ?
- Rounded · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Rounded at the end · Unknown
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Hawk-like
Rule 2 9 criteria · confidence 4
- How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
- While landed
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Spotted or mottled · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Hawk-like
Cooper's Hawk (Immature)
2 rulesRule 1 10 criteria · confidence 4
- How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
- In flight
- What SHAPE were the wings ?
- Rounded · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Rounded at the end · Unknown
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Hawk-like
Rule 2 9 criteria · confidence 4
- How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
- While landed
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Very short · Short · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Hawk-like