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Cooper’s hawk Accipiter cooperii. Dawson Carter 2/6/2014 Environmental science Pd.3. Physical Characteristics. Length: 14.6–15.4 in Wingspan: 24.4–35.4 in Weight: 7.8–14.5 oz With the females being slightly larger then the males Broad, rounded wings and a very long tail
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Cooper’s hawk Accipiter cooperii Dawson Carter 2/6/2014 Environmental science Pd.3
Physical Characteristics • Length: 14.6–15.4 in Wingspan: 24.4–35.4 in Weight: 7.8–14.5 oz • With the females being slightly larger then the males • Broad, rounded wings and a very long tail • Adults, 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 • small knob under the third digit which is unique to this bird.
Life history/reproduction • Live up to 12 years • Eggs are layed between late march and early june • Lay 1 brood with 2-6 eggs • Eggs incubate for 30-36 days • Chicks fledge with in weeks • The chick then fly away and care for themselves • Mature in 3 years
Food & Water • Up to 80% of diet small birds • Rob nests • Supplement diet with small mammals
Habitat • All types of forests • Prefer open stands of trees instead of thick continuous forest • Prefers forest interrupted by meadows and clearings
Behavior • capture prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation • hunt songbirds at backyard feeders • The Cooper’s Hawks are monogamous, but most do not mate for life • communicate using vocalizations and displays • Males are usually submissive to females
Predators, parasites, & diseases • Eggs and nestlings are rarely preyed on • Adults are rarely preyed on hunted mainly by larger raptors
Status • Delaware: threatened • Federal: threatened • Cause: pesticide impact on reproduction and over hunting due to them hunting chickens and songbirds. Loss of habitat
Conservation • Banning of pesticides • now known that predation by these hawks on domestic animals is negligible
Impact if eliminated • American Kestrel recovery • Over population of song birds
References • http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/coopers_hawk/lifehistory • http://www.birds.cornell.edu/bfl/speciesaccts/coohaw.html • http://birds.audubon.org/birds/coopers-hawk • http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/coophawk.htm