Listen to calls of this species ». Cooper’s hawks build a stick nest high in the middle of a deciduous tree, usually in the crotch, where they lay two to five eggs. They capture their prey while flying quickly through dense vegetation, relying almost totally on surprise. overcome its target with a burst of speed. I’d never heard of something like this, where the hawk would trap the martin inside of the house, then reach in and get it. >>  Their long tails act as rudders that allow them to be extremely maneuverable in wooded areas as they hunt birds on the wing. That is how they can get a clear shot when they are hunting. A Cooper’s Hawk’s courtship displays include stylized flights with the wings positioned in a deep arc. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide. Sometimes the nest is built on top of old squirrel, crow, or hawk nest. Sunday 12PM – 4PM What they eat: The Cooper's Hawk is a small raptor that captures its favorite prey including chipmunks, squirrels and other What they look like: They have good depth perception for hunting and catching prey while flying at high speeds. More than 300 Cooper’s Hawk skeletons were investigated and 23% revealed healed fractures in the bones of the chest, especially of the furcula or wishbone. During their flight displays the male will begin by diving toward the female. A North American species, Cooper’s hawks breed from southern Canada to the southern part of the U.S. Click the range map to learn more about the distribution of Cooper's Hawk in Washington. In Washington, the Cooper's Hawk is uncommon throughout forested areas at low and middle elevations, Learning about the behaviors of wildlife never ceases to amaze me, although admittedly at times it can be a little gruesome. >>  When hunting, the Cooper’s hawk usually perches and watches for its prey. For some reason I’ve gotten it into my head that the “Coop” is a photographer friendly bird. >>  Bobwhites, starlings, blackbirds, chipmunks and squirrels are common prey for this hunter. The forward facing eyes of the Cooper's Hawk are yellow to deep red. More information: BirdWeb: Cooper's Hawk >>  The eyes of this hawk, like most predatory birds, face forward, giving it good depth perception for hunting and catching prey while flying at high speeds. Males and females look the same, but the female is about one-third larger than the male. The female lays and incubates from 4 to 6 bluish white eggs, that hatch in about 5 weeks. This raptor has powerful feet with needle sharp talons for catching prey. A slow speed-chase follows involving the male flying around the female exposing his expanded under tail coverts to her. Not uncommon around farm woodlots. distribution of Cooper's Hawk in Washington. beats anything you ever saw.Experience has taught them to prey on purple martains in their houses at day light and dark. The bird was named by Charles Bonaparte in 1828 after William Cooper, who collected the … Males are usually submissive to females and will listen for reassuring call notes the females make when they are willing to be approached.