Thursday, June 4, 2009

Cooper's Hawk

Who knew getting breakfast was so much work!


I captured what I believe to be juvenile Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) in my front yard one morning. I shot the pictures through the window, so they are rather grainy. Without seeing the tail, it is difficult to distinguish the Cooper's Hawk from the Sharp-shined Hawk.

The Accipiter genus are bird eaters. They like to use surprise to catch their prey. They will fly recklessly through the tree branches or will startle birds around a feeder so that they can catch one in flight.

After plucking this poor robin for a while in the front, the hawk picked up his meal and flew into a neighbors back yard where he continued plucking for a while. I wonder how long it takes to remove sufficient feathers to actually get to the meat?

More posts of this species (Vive la carnivaores)

4 comments:

Tina said...

Wow great capture...it is hard to find them actually getting food..and then to get it in your lens is great.

When I have viewed these birds plucking their meal they remind me of the Aflac commercials on tv with feathers flying everywhere!!

MyVintageCameras said...

You really need to start attending the Urban Wildlife Meetings........

Unknown said...

awesome.

thanks :-)

Getsulpa Gyaltän Sangpo (རྒྱལ་བསྟན་བཟང་བོ།༑) said...

I'm surprised you don't have anything on osprey. I had a mating pair here in Colorado Springs that nested on my roof for several years. Magnificent birds. I moved, but I still see them around the neighborhood where I used to live. Their names are Felix and Carlita. I'd see them fly up over my terrace door to the roof each day, or out flying in the afternoons.

North Rock Creek Snowshoe

Distance: 4 miles round trip Elevation: 9,180 ft to 9,780 ft Elevation Gain: 600 ft Dogs: Off leash until the wilderness boundary North...