Amado Territory Ranch Inn
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Cooper's Hawk
Birding in Southern Arizona

The Cooper's Haw is native to North America and found from Canada to Mexico. It is a swift and agile flyer with the female being a couple of inches longer both in size and wing span, than the male. They are about 15-17 inches long with wing spans of 29-32 inches. They have rounded wings and a very long tail, which makes them easier to distinguish from similar sized hawks. The tail is bluish gray on top, paler underneath, with barred dark bands and the feathers are rounded at the tips. The adults have red eyes and are a bluish gray on the back, with a white underbelly that has small reddish stripes. Young ones have yellow eyes, brown upper parts and pale under part.

In flight the Cooper's Haw looks like a flying cross, flapping 2-3 times, then gliding. Birds from Canada and the northern US range do migrate south in winter, preferring to nest in wooded areas next to wide open fields. They surprise their victims by flying through dense bush, looking for mid sized birds, small mammals, rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes and insects.

The male performs a bowing ceremony to his chosen female after courting and before he builds her a nest of sticks. He will also provide food while the female tends to her chicks--usually 3-5 from cobalt blue eggs. The male will call out to a female, asking permission to approach, as she could, being larger, decide to make a meal out of him.

At one time, Cooper's Hawks were heavily hunted in persecution for preying on poultry and were called "chicken hawks". It is now known that predation by these hawks on domestic animals borders on negligible, and they are rarely hunted these days. Cooper's Hawks' breeding success was also reduced by the use of the pesticide DDT, but the ban of DDT ended that threat. Since then, the adaptable Cooper's Hawk has thrived.

These beautiful birds are with us all year round and easily seen on the ranch or out hiking. Madera Canyon is a superb place to watch for them and usually you can find nesting pairs. The male performs a flight display while courting a female, gliding with his wings in a v formation--a beautiful sight.