A very fun thing to see this past weekend although I didn’t get images of all the action. I spotted a gorgeous Cooper’s Hawk hanging out in a suburban park so naturally stopped to get a picture.

It flew off immediately toward some neighboring houses and I was going to give up until I hear some chickens making a huge ruckus. I walked toward the noise and see just over the short fence three chickens huddled up under a bush, clearly distraught. I knew then that hawk had to be there.

Sure enough, I see it standing in the yard, probably trying to figure out how it can enjoy a nice breakfast of poultry. Unfortunately when the Cooper’s Hawk saw me it hopped up into a tree, then decided it didn’t want witnesses to the slaughter it was contemplating and headed off. While I didn’t get any action shots, I did get some decent images of the raptor.

Interestingly enough, the term ‘chicken hawk’ actually refers to the Cooper’s Hawk. Apparently that is fitting.

A relatively common raptor but not one that you normally get an opportunity to see. These small hawks are not ones to stay out in the open, preferring the interior of trees where they can stay hidden and ready to hit their prey.

This particular one was keeping close watch for a meal and in fact it did dive after a Northern Flicker, action which I unfortunately missed.

Cooper’s Hawks have proven to have adapted to urban and suburban life quite well and are probably the most common #raptors to be found in those types of areas. It isn’t unusual to hear stories about folks with bird feeders seeing one of these on their fence, ready to snatch one of the smaller birds as they come by for a meal.

Taken in Longmont, Colorado.

Twice now I have witnessed a bit of conflict between this small hawk and the Great Horned Owls at a nearby open space. Everybody gets along fine until the male owl takes flight. That seems to draw out the Cooper’s and they chase it and pester the much bigger raptor incessantly. I know the owls have a nest at the location and I suspect the hawks do as well thus leading to the conflict.

On this particular morning the hawk had chased off the owl but knew exactly where it had gone and was keeping a close eye on it to ensure it did not return. That allowed me to get a couple of pictures of the Cooper’s Hawk, a common but somewhat elusive raptor.

These medium sized hawks are quite common across much of the United States and Mexico. Finding them however is not an easy task. They tend to prefer to hide within the wooded areas, usually well within the trees making them hard to spot.

I’ve in fact only seen a handful. That made happening across this pair that much more fun and, best of all, they were relatively in the open allowing me to grab some pictures. I was coming down a dirt road near Denver International Airport when I saw one, then the other, both in the same tree. They can be quite skittish but this pair didn’t seem to mind me much at all.

Cooper’s Hawks have proven to have adapted to urban and suburban life quite well and are probably the most common #raptors to be found in those types of areas. It isn’t unusual to hear stories about folks with bird feeders seeing one of these on their fence, ready to snatch one of the smaller birds as they come by for a meal.