Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks are in the genus Accipiter, which includes the northern goshawk that rarely shows up in Texas. Cooper’s hawk was named for American zoologist William Cooper ...

To identify a Cooper's hawk, look for the long tail, a bluish grey back and a black cap, with rusty red barring in front on adults. They have a striped grey and black tail and upright posture.

I gently reached. I gently resumed my original position and the hawk hadn’t moved. The photo gods were with me! The sharp-shinned hawk is the smallest member of a group of raptors known as the ...

A hawk in your backyard is likely one of two: a Cooper's or a sharp-shinned hawk, says Haley. "They're the ones hanging around your feeders trying to eat your birds," he says.

Because Cooper’s hawks are known for aerial gymnastics while hunting, it would be my guess that’s who your party crasher was. Either way, the hawk was most likely hunting prey.