Identification

1
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Webpage prepared by Hunter McDonald

• Identification
• Distribution and Habitat
• Diet
• Feeding Behavior
• Nesting Habits and Reproduction
• Example Ethogram
• References
• Dr. Crains Homepage

Source www.pbase.com/salty_one/image/49164581
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Identification
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• Description
• General body characteristics are short rounded
  wings, long tail,
• and overall body size similar to that of an
  American Crow (Corvus
• brachyrhynchos ).
• Males
• Top of head blackish slate blue upper parts
  under parts
• nearly white chin and throat lightly streaked
  breast, belly
• and sides heavily barred with reddish-brown
  tail rounded
• similar in color to back with 4 or 5 broad
  blackish bars and a
• white terminal edge bill black cere, feet, and
  legs yellow iris
• yellow to red.
• Females
• Similar to males with the exception of duller,
  browner color
• and decidedly larger.
• Immature
• Grayish-brown above many feathers edged with
  buff or white
• breast buff and heavily streaked, but lacks
  distinctive barring
• tail with 4 or 5 dark cross bands and buff
  terminal edge.
• Size

Source https//www.usefilm.com/image/1366251.html

Source flickr.com/photos/toptechwriter/1861866801
/
3
Distribution and Habitat
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Winter Distribution

• Coopers Hawks are widely distributed throughout
  suitable habitat in North America. They prefer
  densely vegetated zones, with deciduous and mixed
  forests being important for distribution and nest
  site selection in Tennessee and surrounding
  areas. In other parts of their range, conifers
  and pine forests play an important role. Their
  body plan and preferred prey species dictate them
  to be birds of the wooded regions, but they may
  be found in otherwise open country if there are
  adjacent thickets and trees associated with
  riparian zones.
• They have adapted to urban areas, where nearby
  woodlots provide shelter and breeding cover as
  well as suitable abundance of prey species.
• While limited movement may take place
  seasonally, some individuals are short range
  migrants while many individuals reside in a
  specific home range throughout the life of the
  bird. They are intensely territorial, especially
  during the breeding and nesting season.
• Abundance has been measured by the National
  Breeding Bird Survey, with number of birds
  observed per route by individual observers
  calculated. Distribution is relatively
  consistent nationally, with elevated counts
  occurring in the most suitable habitat regions
  during the breeding season. The Breeding Bird
  Survey conducts observation routes 24.5 miles
  long with a total of 50 stops at .5 mile
  intervals. This survey is conducted in June
  throughout most of the country. The Lovell, TN
  route shows .18 birds per route.
  http//www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/rtena23.pl?82
  033. The photos to the right display both the
  winter and breeding season distribution,
  determined by the Breeding Bird Survey and
  Mid-Winter Survey organized by the US Geological
  Service.

Breeding Distrtribution
Source www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/.../trn626/tr3330.ht
ml
4
Diet
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Prey generally consists of small birds, in
Tennessee Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata),
Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis),
American Robins (Turdus migratorius), and similar
sized species make up the majority of their diet.
Smaller birds, and game birds such as Bobwhite
Quail (Colinus virginianus) are also taken, when
available. They also prey on small mammals, such
as squirrels, chipmunks, mice and other small
rodents. Small reptiles make up the smallest
portion of their diet.
Source www.flickr.com/photos/indydan/3457317887/

5
Feeding Behavior
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• Coopers Hawks are true Accipiters, with short
  broad wings and long tails for fast and
  maneuverable flight. This gives them powerful
  thrust and very high burst speeds, with an
  ability to flare their long tails which enables
  them to maneuver at very high rates of speed
  around obstacles and while pursuing prey. They
  hunt primarily from a perched position, with
  short burst flights in pursuit of prey, as well
  as long distance surprise attacks on prey perched
  or on the ground. Avian prey is often times
  taken in mid flight.

Source www.lloydspitalnik.com/v/birds_of_prey/co
oper...
6
Nesting Habits and Reproduction
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• Coopers Hawks prefer to nest in sub-climax
  forests, with a closed canopy and suitable
  habitat buffer surrounding the nest site. In
  Tennessee, mixed deciduous forests, riparian and
  wetland woodlands are the primary sites for nest
  building. Home range size varies from 260-4,450
  acres, and they are fiercely territorial during
  the nesting season. Nests are simple stick
  construction, in or just subjacent to the canopy.
  Clutch size is 3-5 blue eggs, incubation
  averages around 30 days. Females tend the nest,
  while males provide resources to the female.
  Vocalizations, usually confined to the breeding
  season, consist of a loud, raspy cak-cak-cak.
  Examples of vocalizations are available from
  Cornell Ornithology Lab at http//www.allaboutbir
  ds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/sounds

Source www.greglasley.net/coopershawk.html
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Example Ethogram
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• Behavioral studies are difficult to quantify due
  to the continual nature of behavioral patterns
  and the frequency with which they change. In the
  field, behavioral ecologists have developed a
  system by which they can take observational data
  and quantify it with the purpose of providing a
  standard from which to compare it to other field
  observations. An example of such an ethogram for
  a Coopers Hawk in eastern North America is
  provided in the link below. Time intervals are
  set by the observer, and notes are taken to
  represent the behavior(s) in which the bird is
  engaging during that time period.
• Example Ethogram

Source www.pbase.com/btblue/image/87577575
8
References
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• Johnsgard, P.A. 1990. Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons
  of
• North America. Washington D.C., Smithsonian
• Institution Press.
• Kielb, M.A. 1994a. Cooper.s Hawk species account
  in
• G.A. McPeek (editor) The Birds of Michigan.
• Bloomington Indiana University Press. 358pp.
• Sibley, D.A. 2000. National Aududon Society The
• Sibley Guide to Birds. New York Alfred A.
  Knopf,
• Inc. 544pp.
• USGS 2008. United States Geological Survey
  Patuxent Bird Population Studies. Accessed 25
  April 2009. Available online http//www.mbr-pwrc
  .usgs.gov
• Michigan State University Extension. 2002.
  Michigan Natural Features Inventory Coopers
  Hawk. Lansing Michigan State University Board
  of Trustees. Available Online
  http//web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/zoology/Ac
  cipiter_cooperii.pdf

Source www.virtualbirder.com/.../Gallery.datBAN
Dmid