This is a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk and it is perched in the middle of a large patch of shrubs that it flew into chasing after some small birds. Juvenile Cooper’s Hawks, unlike the handsome adults of this species, are brown with brown streaks on their underparts. Like other young hawks it is still trying to learn how to catch it’s dinner.
After the small birds flew into the shrubs they quickly dispersed. I watched this the young hawk fly in behind them and got this photo of it as it looked down into the shrub trying to figure out where they all went.
I felt bad for this young hawk as it just sat there looking perplexed. It was as though it was saying to itself, I know those little birdies flew into this shrub and I came right after them–they should be here but I can’t find them!
Have you watched a young hawk trying to hunt?
Have you seen juvenile Cooper’s Hawks like this one or adults?
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I have seen a juvenile in a tree by the neighborhood, but not since. Once we saw a juvenile golden eagle flying with the vultures in front of the house, and once at a state park we saw a crested caracara.