Adults are steely blue-gray above with warm reddish bars on the underparts and thick dark bands on the tail. Juveniles are brown above and crisply streaked with brown on the upper breast, giving them a somewhat hooded look compared with young …

Sep 18, 2015 · The nape feathers on adult Cooper’s Hawks are lighter than the feathers on the top of the head, giving the bird a capped appearance. Adult sharpies have a dark blue-gray tone on both parts. The head helps with flying birds, too.

Jul 11, 2024 · Adult male and female Cooper’s hawks have a bluish-gray back, blackish cap and white undersides crossed by horizontal reddish barring. The female averages almost one-third larger than the male and has slightly duller colors.

A medium-sized hawk of the woodlands. Feeding mostly on birds and small mammals, it hunts by stealth, approaching its prey through dense cover and then pouncing with a rapid, powerful flight. Of the three bird-eating Accipiter hawks, Cooper's is the mid-sized species and the most widespread as a nesting bird south of Canada.

Among the bird world’s most skillful fliers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide.

Adult Hawk - How to find him: Look for the Cooper's hawk in early springtime, flying to the ground for sticks. Listen for his call "kek-kek-kek." Be alert for the cry of other birds when he is near. Juvenile Hawk - Look for: Dark brown back with white patches White breast with fine brown streaks, often ending in tear-drop shape

One of the features that distinguishes the adult Cooper’s hawk is the dark crown of the head, accentuated by lighter feathers at the nape and cheeks. The hawk frequently raises its hackles, giving the head a squarish appearance.

The adult Cooper’s hawk has a dark cap, blue-gray back, and rusty, barred feathers on its breast and belly. The juvenile’s overall color is brown with rufous (reddish brown) feather edges. It has sparse white spotting and the belly and breast are light colored with brown vertical streaks.

Adult has rufous (on white) barring below, white undertail coverts. Blue-gray above with a blackish cap and a paler nape. Adult males typically more vibrant in color and more finely barred on the underparts, bluer upperwings, and gray cheeks (often rufous cheeks in first adult plumage).

Aug 20, 2023 · Adult Cooper’s Hawks typically display dark blue-gray backs, while adult Sharp-shinned Hawks have brown backs 2. On the other hand, juvenile birds of both species have brown streaks on their fronts, which can make them more challenging to identify based on color.