This Cooper’s Hawk let me get close enough to take this picture. Unfortunately, it was protecting its dinner. This is a picture of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk. If you finish reading this article, you will see how I know.
Appearance:  The adult males have long rounded tails with several black bands. They are dark gray on the back and have dark red eyes. The adult females look similar to the male but are a little larger. Juveniles have a brown back, brown streaks on their breast and have bright yellow eyes like the one in the photo.
Feeding Habits:  Hawks don’t like to eat seeds, instead, they go after small birds, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and other small mammals.  I can always tell when the hawk is nearby because all of the birds fly away and hide.
Nesting Habits:  Cooper’s Hawks make their large nests in the shape of a platform. They typically build these nests in trees.
Migration:Â These hawks stick around all year in PA.
In addition to the Cooper’s Hawks, the male and female Blue Jays look similar.
