Scientific Name: Accipiter cooperii
Residency: Year-round resident throughout Arizona, except for the southwestern corner of the state, where it only spends the winter.
Diet: Small mammals and birds.
Predators:  Great Horned Owl and Red-tailed Hawk.

Nesting: The male builds a platform nest out of sticks lined with bark; the female lays three to five bluish-white eggs.

Nesting Records:
Notes:  The Cooper?s Hawk is a prime example of how human introduction of agents like pesticides into the natural environment can affect the survival of native wildlife. The introduction of DDT in the 1940?s and 1950?s has been linked to the dramatic decline in population numbers of this bird, though their population began to increase again in the 1960?s. Although the Cooper?s Hawk is listed as threatened or of special concern in many states, this species has shown the ability to adapt to breeding in urban environments, which may help to further increase their population.

Photo: Taken at Scottsdale Community College on March 9, 2007. For more photos click on camera icon.

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