Cooper's Hawk

Astur cooperii

Year-round in CharlotteUncommon

The take

The feeder-raider — a flash of gray and the songbirds scatter.

How to ID it

  • Classic accipiter shape: broad rounded wings, very long rounded tail, and a large-looking head
  • Adult steely blue-gray above with warm reddish barring below and thick dark tail bands
  • Flies with a flap-flap-glide pattern and ambushes prey by flying fast and low over obstructions

Field marks at a glance

Size
large
Head
blue-gray with darker cap
Call
loud cak-cak-cak near the nest

Where & when

Year-round in Charlotte

Learn more

Sources