Coopers Hawk Perched #6

The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a medium-sized accipiter found in North America between Southern Canada and Northern Mexico. It's preferred... more

by Morris Finkelstein

Title

Coopers Hawk Perched #6

Artist

Morris Finkelstein

Medium

Photograph

Description

The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a medium-sized accipiter found in North America between Southern Canada and Northern Mexico. It's preferred habitat includes woodlands of various types, and forested mountainous regions. Common names for Cooper's Hawk include Chicken Hawk, Hen Hawk and Quail Hawk. This hawk measures about 16.5 inches in length, 1.0 pounds in weight, and has a wingspan of about 36 inches. Adults have red eyes and a black cap, blue-gray upper parts, and white underparts with thin reddish bars. Immature Cooper's Hawks have yellow eyes and a brown cap, brown upper parts, and pale underparts with dark brown streaks ending at the abdomen. Preferred prey is mostly small to mid-sized birds included species such as Robins, Starlings, Doves, Songbirds, and Thrushes. They catch prey with their talons and squeeze their prey until it dies.

This juvenile Cooper's Hawk perched on a tree branch was photographed on an overcast autumn morning at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in St. Louis County, Missouri on 12-7-2020. I used a Nikon D850 camera body and a Nikon 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR telephoto lens to capture this image. Settings: 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1800. The Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, was established in 1997 and includes 4318 acres with 6.5 miles of river frontage. It is an important birding area as it is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and is on a major migratory flyway.

I am honored that my photograph was featured in the Fine Art America groups:
The Outdoor Photographer, 12-8-2020
FAA Portraits - Bird, 12-8-2020
FAA Portraits, 12-8-2020
Gentlemen Club Art Group, 12-12-2020
Poetic Poultry, 12-14-2020
Midwest America Photography, 12-25-2020
Birds In Focus, 2-28-2021

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Uploaded

December 7th, 2020