Cooper's Hawk

The Cooper's Hawk is an uncommon year-round resident on campus. It is a common year-round breeding resident in southern California, where it forages by hunting other (smaller) birds. It is often seen capturing birds at bird feeders.

High Count: 3, Average Count: 1-2

The adult Cooper's Hawk can be identified by its slaty blue upperparts and crown, reddish orange underparts, white rump and undertail coverts, long, banded tail, and orange-red eye. Juveniles have mostly brown upperparts, white underparts with brown streaking, and a yellow eye. It can be difficult to distinguish from the similar-looking Sharp-shinned Hawk, but is larger and has a longer, more rounded tail.