Up to this point I've focused on small fluttery birds, but the various raptors are also quite active in the winter too!
This young Cooper's hawk is a regular at our house, flying between buildings and trees with stealth and precision. At times our feeder will be filled with birds then emptied in an instant and I know the Coop has landed in the tree. Found year-round in the US, Cooper's hawks are primarily woodland and forest birds who have started moving to the suburbs and cities with lots of trees. While birds are their main source of food, they prefer medium sized birds (rock pigeons, mourning doves) to the smaller birds found at feeders. If you find a Cooper's hawk is regularly visiting your feeders (and you keep noticing piles of feathers) you can remove the feeders from your yard for a few days and the hawk will move on. The oldest recorded Cooper's hawk was banded in 1986 in California and was found over 20 years later in Washington!
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AboutSince 2015 we have been exploring and sharing all the amazing things we’ve found in nature. AuthorEmily is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist who is most often found out in the woods. Archives
January 2021
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