Cooper's Hawk
Learn to identify the Cooper's Hawk by ear. Master the "kek-kek-kek" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Cooper's Hawk sounds like
A loud, nasal run of kek notes delivered in quick succession. The burst sounds sharp, urgent, and carrying.
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Cooper's Hawk
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Cooper's Hawk's sounds in these interactive in-app lessons.
Where you'll hear it
Partially migratory; northern populations move south for winter, while southern populations are often year-round residents.
Forests and woodlands, including suburban areas with mature trees, parks, and leafy neighborhoods.
Most active during daylight hours, hunting with short flights through forest canopy or along edges.
How to recognize it by sight
Cooper's Hawks are medium-sized hawks with the classic accipiter shape: broad, rounded wings and a very long tail. The head often appears large, the shoulders broad, and the tail rounded. Adults are steely blue-gray above with warm reddish bars on the underparts and thick dark bands on the tail.
Similar species
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Smaller size with smaller head and more squared tail
American Goshawk
Larger and bulkier with broader shoulders
Red-shouldered Hawk
Translucent wing 'crescents' near wingtips