In the family of hawks, there are two names that often pop-out mostly due to their prowess in hunting and aggression against their prey.
To identify their signifying traits through differentiating from one another, we’ll witness a battle that I’d like to call “Red-Tailed Hawk vs Cooper’s Hawk”.
This way, you’ll not only get insight into each of these bird’s behavior and physicality, but also will learn to separate one from the other with ease.
By the end, there would be very little left to assimilate these two species into one chapter because the details that set these two apart would be at your palm’s grasp!
Contents
Cooper’s Hawk & Red-Tailed Hawk: Basic Information
The most basic information on Cooper’s Hawk and Red-Tailed Hawk are given in this section for your convenience.
Cooper’s Hawk
Source: @bennie726
- Scientific Name: Accipiter cooperii
- Size: Male: 35 to 46 cm (14 to 18 in); Female: 42 to 50 cm (17 to 20 in)
- Locality: North American
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Late February to March
Cooper’s Hawk has been named to honor the revered ornithologist William Cooper back in 1828. This species is known for their agility mid-flight and the accuracy of capturing faster and smaller animals as their prey.
As these birds have a knack for hunting down other species quite vigorously, they’re often considered as threats to rare or extinct animals, especially birds in the locality. The American kestrel is one of such kinds to suffer Cooper’s Hawk’s extreme predation.
Back in the 80s, this species faced threats of decline due to manmade causes, but the numbers since then have improved significantly. Currently, it’s estimated that around 800,000 of such raptors roam all across America with a steady growth in their family line.
Red-Tailed Hawk
Source: @schugar_bear
- Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis
- Size: Male: 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in); Female: 48 to 65 cm (19 to 26 in)
- Locality: Most of North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April or May
The name of the Red-Tailed Hawk doesn’t require much thinking to understand, because you’ve guessed right – they display a spreaded red tail at full flight. It’s also regarded as one of the three”chickenhawks” in the States, however, they rarely feast on fully grown chickens.
These hawks are often preferred for falconry and taming them at an early age delivers good results. However, adult birds of this species are carefully left out from this practice because it becomes strenuous to tame them with age.
In Native American culture, Red-Tailed Hawk and its feathers are considered to be sacred. Specially the tail features of this bird are deemed as collectibles in many indigenous communities. However, this collection is currently governed by the eagle feather law in the US.
Cooper’s Hawk or Red-Tailed Hawk? Let’s Identify!
The most significant identification that sets these two species apart is the color of their tail feathers in full flight. Red-Tailed Hawk flaunts their beautiful red tail which can be observed from underneath.
When it comes to Cooper’s Hawk, the tail color is a bluish gray, so remembering this detail should steer you clear from confusion.
Source: @planetsbird
If you spot any of these perched, then you’ll have to pay attention to their feather tones. Red-Tailed Hawk has a darker upper side & a more white-ish belly but Cooper’s Hawk displays a gray-ish one.
Source: @rogerpare_wildcritters
Also, the latter contains some textures of reddish-gray or cinnamon tone on the underbelly, while the former has a light brown necklace present on their neck area.
Not a lot has the pleasure to take a closer peek at these birds, but fortunate ones stress on the fact that Cooper’s Hawk has a pushed out, sharp pair of red eyes as opposed to the Red-Tailed Hawk’s yellow-ish eyes.
Differences in Red-Tailed Hawk vs Cooper’s Hawk
In this section, I’ll be showing you the differences of these two species so that you can distinguish one from the other very clearly.
Size & Shape
Both of these hawks aren’t of one size only as they can deviate in shape across regions and even between genders. For Cooper’s Hawk, the female bird is usually larger than the male, and the same notion has carried on to Red-Tailed Hawk as well.
If you place these two species side by side, you’ll find that the Red-Tailed Hawk is quite larger than Cooper’s Hawk on average.
Subspecies
As of this moment, Cooper’s Hawk has no identifiable subspecies, so the only species endorse every possible variation and deviation, which is quite minimal except for size discrepancy.
But when it comes to Red-Tailed Hawk, it has 14 subspecies, each with unique traits, size, color and behavior. They’re distributed in different parts of North America and are habitat to unique environments.
Vocalization
These two birds have unique vocal traits and their callings are quite different from one another. Below you’ll find the two birds’ calling sounds side by side to learn the differences.
Red-Tailed Hawk Sound
Cooper’s Hawk Sound
If I break the sounds down for you, Red-Tailed Hawk’s calling lasts only for around 2-3 seconds. It sounds more like a “kree-eee-ar” resembling a steam whistle.
On the other hand, it’s debated that a Cooper’s Hawk can produce up to 40 calling sounds depending on the scenario. The phoneme can be described as “keh-keh-keh”.
Source: @birdddog1
Habitat
When it comes to the habitat zones, the Red-Tailed Hawk seems to be the more diverse one as opposed to Cooper’s Hawk. The former is seen living in habitat zones between deserts to forests or even urban areas due to their adaptability, and are able to climb higher up in altitude level.
The extent of Cooper’s Hawk’s roaming area is significantly limited, confined within temperate forests and mountainous forest areas. When it comes to their nesting, this species prefers higher up in tall trees, but is observed nesting in urban and suburban regions.
Source: @simon.auclair.canadanature
Behavior
Between these two hawks who are birds of prey, Cooper’s Hawk is a tad bit more aggressive. Its hunting prowess allows a hint at its nature. This bird can conceal itself perfectly within nature and pose a surprise attack to the prey.
Red-Tailed Hawk isn’t a peaceful bird either, but it can be tamed if taken in at an early age. That’s why falconers prefer this species over Cooper’s, because the second one is never fully tamed, moody and demanding, which is quite difficult to control most of the time.
Prey Preference
Red-Tailed Hawks usually prey on smaller animals with a wide array of food palettes. Since these are diurnal birds, their victims are the ones who are out in the open during the daytime. Among them, squirrels and rodents are among the favorites for this species.
Cooper’s Hawk aren’t as forgiving when it comes to hunting. This species is classified as omnivorous, and indeed they live up to the reputation. From fellow birds to other animals or mammals, it seems they don’t have a distaste for almost anything at all!
Taking a look at the table below will help you see the differences between the species in concern side by side.
| Category | Red-Tailed Hawk | Cooper’s Hawk |
| Size & Shape | Larger | Smaller |
| Color | Has a red tail | Has a bluish-gray tail |
| Subspecies | 14 subspecies | None |
| Habitat | More diverse | Less diverse |
| Behavior | Can be tamed | Isn’t usually tamed |
| Prey | Feasts on smaller animals | Omnivorous |
Similarities of Red-Tailed Hawk & Cooper’s Hawk
Despite all the differences, there are quite a few similarities too between these two predatory birds. Let’s hear them out!
Family
Both of these species belong to the Accipitridae family. It’s a family for predator birds as both of these animals live on hunting down other animals. This is a shared trait between the two, the aggressive nature, the relentless energy for a hunt. However, their energy is invested in different groups of food sources as you’ve seen before.
Migration
These two birds show migratory behaviors during the winter. They move further south toward the north of Mexico in search of food sources and a warmer environment. Although some of the Red-Tailed Hawks have shown the trait of living through winter without moving, it’s not the same for all of their species.
Incubation
Probably due to their shared family status, both the Red-Tailed Hawk and Cooper’s Hawk incubate in a similar manner. Mostly, the female bird is the one to incubate while the male searches for food. But usually during night time, the male bird incubates as a substitute for around 3-4 hours to allow the female bird to roam and hunt.
Verdict
As you can tell by now, even if you were thinking of breaching the law and planning on taming either of these two species, you probably have given up as of this moment.
These aren’t regular birds who are easily scared off or can be intimidated out, because they carry a brave heart and pull off bold moves.
It has been a worthy battle between Red-Tailed Hawk vs Cooper’s Hawk, but when it comes to raw aggression, there is only one clear winner – the Cooper’s Hawk.
They show the very traits that regard them as birds of prey, and their native status in North America can give you their glimpses once in a while if you’re in the locality.
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