Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) is in the Hawks, Eagles, and Kites family (Accipitridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 126,499 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in January.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Cooper's Hawk: observations by month (U.S.)

About Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's hawk (Astur cooperii) is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from southern Canada to Mexico. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female. The birds found east of the Mississippi River tend to be larger on average than the birds found to the west. It is easily confused with the smaller but similar sharp-shinned hawk. (Accipiter...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Cooper's Hawk by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)

Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis

Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus

Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus

Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius

Mississippi KiteIctinia mississippiensis

Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni

Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus

Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ