May 2014 – Champoeg State Park, Oregon
This appears to be a Cooper’s Hawk, perhaps a year old – still with juvenile plumage. These hawks are a bit hard to identify, but this one was surely too big to be the similar Sharp-shinned Hawk. Cooper’s Hawks are Accipiters, whose primary prey are other birds. They are quick and nimble hunters, swooping through the trees to snag their prey.
Cooper’s Hawk
2003 – Hillsboro, Oregon
I’m fairly certain this is a Cooper’s Hawk… a female, possibly young male? The Sharp-shinned hawk looks similar, but is a bit smaller. So, without much else to go on, I’m going by size… even though there isn’t much to get a good scale on. If you have any other opinions, I’d love to hear them. Anyway, it was a fun little encounter – it just hung out on the lawn for a bit, then flew off.
Cooper’s Hawk