The Cooper's Hawk, being an accipiter, is essentially a woodland species and although a true forest hawk, the Cooper's Hawk has adapted remarkably well to life in and around the older suburbs, especially in areas where small woodlots and trees have been allowed to stand. In some of the more affluent neighborhoods where larger lots prevail with their evergreen plantings and bird feeders that attract and concentrate potential prey, these birds often set up housekeeping and rear their young close to homes, sometimes even overshadowing a dwelling.   With the disappearance of existing woodlands, it has been forced to occupy these more open situations such as smaller woodlots and hedgerows.

During the nesting season, these hawks show little interest in the nearby songbirds visiting the feeders and hunting territory is usually some distance away. But in the dead of winter, when food is scarce and large numbers of other birds begin visiting feeders, Cooper's Hawks, as well as their cousins the Sharp-shinned Hawks, has learned that reliable food supplies assemble around backyard feeding stations that are well stocked with cracked corn, sunflower seeds and suet.  These hawks sometimes become a nuisance to many people. Quite often, in their attempts to escape, songbirds fly into windows and may drop to the ground stunned, or even dead. Sometimes the same fate awaits the hawk. A significant number of Cooper's Hawks are killed each winter by crashing against windows in pursuit of intended victims. Some people paste black hawk silhouettes on their windows in an attempt to prevent such accidents, but thin netting over the window is more effective.

Immature Cooper's Hawks look very much like young Goshawks and are almost carbon copies of young Sharp-shinned Hawk, basically browns and buffs, with grayish-yellow eyes.  Except for size, which is seldom apparent in the field even at close range, identification of the Cooper's Hawk versus the Sharp-shinned is virtually impossible for all but the seasoned raptor observer. Even then the distinctions are difficult to spot. The more rounded tail of the Cooper's Hawk is usually, but not always, a good indicator.  At the first molt at the age of one year, the dorsal plumage changes to bluish gray, with reddish barring on the breast. The eyes gradually change from yellow to deep orange and finally to ruby red after several years, although some eastern females seem to retain the orange for life.

During the 1960s and '70s, Cooper's Hawks suffered serious declines from pesticide poisoning similar to the Osprey, Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon. Today, their numbers have rebounded dramatically. Its decline as a breeding bird-not only here, but throughout the East and Midwest-over the last twenty-five years is not completely understood. It is, however, probably related more to overall declines in medium-sized songbird populations than anything else.

Cooper's Hawks, of course, were unknown to the early European falconers, and, in spite of their easy availability and dashing tenacity in the chase, have never been very popular among American falconers. Though tolerant of human activities from a distance, they are generally, in the hands of an average person, so wild and fearful and high-strung that only a minority of modern falconers are possessed of the patience to train them.

Cooper's Hawks construct a nest of sticks, usually a new one each year, and line it with small, flat pieces of bark. The four or five pale greenish eggs hatch in about four weeks, and are attended by the female alone. The male provides food for her and the brood until the chicks are about half-grown, at which time she may be forced to assist in the hunting.

Fall migration of Cooper's Hawks usually peaks during the first two weeks of October at all of the usual hawk-watching spots.

Length: 14 to 20 inches