We are fortunate enough to have a Cooper's Hawk that considers our neighbourhood his habitat. We live in an area with mature trees (some 50-80 feet tall, elms, oak, maples) and he considers it "prime hunting territory" since it's loaded with plenty of prey (birds, squirrels, chipmunks, mice).
When our dog was a puppy, we were reluctant to let him out in the yard alone, since he was about 4-5 pounds, and we'd seen the Cooper's Hawk swoop down and lift a rabbit of similar size away... only to return the headless body to our yard later. Hawks and other raptors relish the eyes and brain, so often they'll cut off the head (their beaks are powerful and sharp), and carry it away to enjoy later... so as not to overwhelm their energy by carrying the entire body.
Gus-gus is now about 12.5 pounds, but we still keep a close eye on him, when he's in the yard. I doubt that the Cooper's Hawk (which is one of the smaller hawks) could lift him at his current weight... but those talons could do some serious damage.
Yesterday, my wife returned home, and was about to let the dog out into the yard, when she noticed our Cooper's Hawk, calmly sitting on our Cape Hatteras braided rope hammock. When she opened the back door, the hawk didn't fly away... he just stared at her. That's when my wife noticed that he had something "grisly" in his claw.
She took a broom out, and shoe-ed him away... but she had to wave it around wildly to make him take notice. After he'd left, we found the remnants of his feast. It appears that he'd caught another bird (maybe a sparrow, or a junco), because there were feathers scattered all around the base of the hammock.
Gus spent a great deal of time investigating the kill-zone... sniffing at each and every tuft of feather... (and then he pee-d on them)... it was an adventure.
A Cooper's Hawk is a woodland Hawk. You don't typically see them soaring in the sky, or large open spaces, like an eagle. They're only about a foot high, have a dappled brown breast, grey feathers, and a slightly blue tinged tail. if you see one up close, as my wife and I have been fortunate enough to do, you'll also note their brilliant orange or reddish eyes. (the hawk in this photo appears to be a Juvenile... ain't he purty??) They are often confused with their slightly larger cousins, the Goshawk and the Sharp Shinned Hawk, who can be 18 inches tall or taller.
Ain't nature grand?
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