Migrant type: Short to medium-distance migrant

Cooper’s hawks can be found over most of the continental US but some of the birds will migrate as far south as Mexico and Honduras. They are common in urban and suburban areas and some studies show that their numbers are higher in neighborhoods than in their natural habitat, forests. During migration, these birds can be seen on mountain ridgetops in the East and West.

Since these birds mostly eat other birds, they might be seen perching by songbird feeders, but they also dive between tree canopies in hot pursuit of their prey.

These birds look very similar to the Sharp-shinned hawk, which can be found in similar areas and both reside in Montana year-round. The Cooper’s hawk is smaller than a Goshawk but bigger than the Sharp-shinned hawk. The Cooper’s hawk also has a more rounded shape to the end of its tail while the Sharp-shinned hawk’s tail is more squared off. They have the accipiter-style flight but a flap-flap-glide pattern.