Bird of the week: Cooper’s hawk
About: A large hawk that hunts primarily in wooded areas. It has a dark gray back and wings with reddish-brown barring on the underside of the body and wings. Juveniles are brown with some white mottling on the underside. They are most easily identified in flight, with round, broad wings and a long tail. They are very similar to the smaller sharp-shinned hawk, which is less common but looks almost identical. They are best distinguished in flight by their round tail — sharp-shinned typically have a square tail — and head protruding further beyond their wrists in flight — sharp-shinned hawk heads barely protrude beyond their wrists. They are best identified with a combination of these field marks because size, rounding of tail and flight shape are different on different individuals. Their call is also a great identifying factor.
Where to find this bird: Look for them in wooded areas on campus or flying overhead. I have found them in Peabody Park frequently in recent years.
When to find this bird: Year-round
Fun fact: Cooper’s hawks are common in suburban areas across the U.S. and may be the most common raptor in this habitat, though they may be harder to detect. They are one of the most feared birds of prey, as they specialize in hunting other birds. Often when a Cooper’s hawk is in the area, one can tell it is there long before one spots it, because all songbird activity dies down; they will terrorize feeders.