Cooper's Hawk, looking back
Accipiter cooperii
Cooper's Hawk · Prospect Park · 1 March 2026
A Cooper's Hawk in a Prospect Park tree, looking back over its shoulder. Cooper's is an Accipiter, a bird-hunting hawk built for chasing through trees, and a few decades ago it was a bird of deep woodland. It is now among the commonest raptors in American cities, hunting pigeons, starlings and sparrows around feeders and lawns, and the park has a resident pair.
An adult: the dark grey cap, the orange-red eye and the fine rufous barring across the breast, which is what is turned towards the camera. The long banded tail hanging below the branch, rounded at the tip, is the other mark - the Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks of the same park are broad-winged, short-tailed Buteos that soar and sit.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.