Episode 91: Cooper’s Hawk – Voice of the Wild

This is Brodie with Illinois Extension and I’m here with a new “voice of the wild”

Stalking forests and feeders alike, is a long tailed hawk who flies an agile sweep through clearings hoping to ambush unsuspecting prey. They have snappy wingbeats that send them neatly over fences and around shrublines. Those brief flaps are followed by a controlled glide from which they’re well prepared to dive feet-first onto their prey. This is the cooper’s hawk

Cooper’s hawks are primarily predators of other birds; especially medium sized birds like starlings, doves, and pigeons. Because of this tendency, your bird feeder may get added to a cooper’s hunting circuit. If you prefer, you can bring the feeder down for a week or two so the cooper’s learns to go elsewhere, but If you don’t mind cleaning up starling feathers every now and again, you can also enjoy the adult cooper’s handsome grayish cap as it perches on your fence. Listen for cooper’s hawks in the early to mid spring when a pair is defending their territory and building a nest. Here’s the cooper’s hawk again.

Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for today’s sound. Learn more about voice of the wild at go.illinois.edu/VOW