BREEDING BIRDS: COOPER’S HAWK

COOPER’S HAWK

(Accipiter Cooperii)

Description: Distinguished from other woodland hawks by a larger head; longer rounded tail and shorter rounded wings. In adults, there is a stronger contrast between back and crown.

Habitat: Prefers mixed woodlands, or streamside groves.

Diet: Preys on songbirds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Displays: Courtship flight with wings in a deep arc.

Nest: Broad and flat or narrow and deep. Made of sticks and twigs and lined with wood

chips, down, strips of outer bark or green conifer needles.

Eggs: Bluish- white or greenish- white. Usually spotted with brown.

Natural history notes: Uncommon, and may be declining.

Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160.

Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis.

Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).

Indicates 5-kilometer-square areas where breeding activity has been confirmed.