Cooper’s Hawk
(Accipiter cooperii)
Coopers hawks are nongame birds which prey upon birds and small mammals. They prefer wooded ecosystems at all elevations. Their population trend is stable. Most summer breeders leave Utah in October and return in March and early April to begin pair bonding. Their nest territories are utilized from 5-1 through 8-15. Active nests require a 0.5 mile radius buffer zone protected from human disturbance. Eggs are incubated for 32-36 days and young fledge in another 27-34 days. They generally nest in wooded drainages.