Cooper’s Hawk Length/Height
Have you ever wondered how you could quickly identify a bird you saw and to which species it belonged?
The size of the bird is the best indicator of its species. Cooper’s hawk is a medium-sized hawk found in North America, ranging from southern Canada to Mexico. The Cooper’s Hawk is a crow-sized woodland raptor that feeds on birds.
According to the Audubon Society, one of the easiest ways to distinguish a Cooper’s Hawk from other birds is to look at the tail of a Cooper’s Hawk, which is typically rounded, whereas a sharp-shinned hawk has tail feathers with a straight or flat edge.
The Cooper’s Hawk is a medium-sized bird when it comes to raptors. Additionally, female Cooper’s Hawks are longer than male Cooper’s Hawks. The Cooper’s Hawk has an average length of 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm) or 1.21-1.27 ft.
| Length | Centimeter | Inches | Feet |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 37-39 cm | 14.6-15.3 in | 1.21-1.27 ft |
Cooper’s Hawk Weight
Moving on, the weight of a bird species varies depending on multiple factors such as their geographic location, diet, migration, etc.
While males’ average weight ranges from 280 g (9.8 oz) in the west to 349 g (12.3 oz) in the east, females have an average mass ranging from 439 g (15 oz) for western females to 566 g (19 oz) for eastern females.
The average weight of the Cooper’s Hawk ranges between 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g) or 0.2-0.4 kg.
| Weight | Grams | Kilograms | Pound |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 220-410 g | 0.2-0.4 kgs | 7.8-14.5 oz |
Cooper’s Hawk Wingspan
What are birds without their wings? Nothing, right?
Like other Accipiters, cooper hawks have rounded wings, a long rounded tail, and long legs. Cooper’s hawks fly fast with sharp beats. Cooper’s Hawks fly in the typical accipiter flap-flap-glide pattern. They rarely flap continuously even when crossing large open areas.
The full-grown Cooper’s Hawk has a wingspan of about 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm) or 2.03-2.95 ft.
| Wingspan | Centimeter | Inch | Feet |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 62-90 cm | 24.4-35.4 in | 2.03-2.95 ft |
Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk Size
The interesting part is when you do identify Cooper’s Hawk, but could not really tell if it is a young one or an adult.
Adult Cooper’s Hawks are steely blue-gray above, with warm reddish bars on the underparts and thick dark bands on the tail; young Cooper’s Hawks are brown above, with a crisp brown streak on the upper breast.
We can also tell apart the young ones from their parents or ancestors by looking at their overall size.
As they are young and have not yet fully developed, they are small. Their overall length, weight as well as wingspan is smaller than that of the adult Cooper’s Hawk.
The newborn of the adult Cooper’s Hawk is covered in white down and weighs only 28 grams (1 ounce), but it can crawl around the nest.
Cooper’s Hawk Clutch/Egg Size
Before the young ones or juveniles of the Cooper’s Hawk is born, the adult goes through the nesting and breeding period.
The male Cooper’s Hawk builds the nest over a two-week period, with only minor assistance from the female. While these birds’ incubation period lasts between 30-36 days, their nesting period lasts between 27-34 days.
Concerning the eggs themselves, the clutch size or number of eggs laid by Cooper’s Hawk per year is approximately 2 to 6 eggs. While the length of the egg is about 1.7-2.0 in (4.4-5.1 cm), the width of the egg is about 1.4-1.6 in (3.5-4 cm).
| Clutch size | Egg size | |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 2-6 eggs | Length: 1.7-2.0 in (4.4-5.1 cm)Width: 1.4-1.6 in (3.5-4 cm) |
Cooper’s Hawk Size Comparison To Human
Now that we know somewhat about the bird, let’s look at this raptor from a different point of view. If we compare the bird with other types of birds or other species such as us, Humans, then we could see how big or smaller the bird is than we are.
While the average height or length of adult humans is about 5.5 to 5.9 feet and weighs about 60 to 80 kg (132-176 lb), the Cooper’s Hawk has a length of about 1.21-1.27 ft and weighs 0.2-0.4 kg (7.8-14.5 oz).
Besides a human, the bird would look tiny, about five times smaller in height, and a lot lighter.
Cooper’s Hawk Vs Sharp-Shinned Hawk Size Comparison
Sharp-shinned Hawks, also known as Accipiter striatus, are mostly found in dense forest areas and occasionally near forest edges.
These birds cannot be found in open areas with no trees. During their migration, when hundreds of them fly across in a flock, one can easily spot one of these.
A Sharp-Shinned Hawk’s size and weight vary depending on its age and gender. A small baby male Accipiter Hawk, for example, has a length of 23 to 30 cm and a wingspan of 42 to 58 cm. Their body weight ranges from 82 to 115 grams (2.9 to 4.1 oz).
A female Accipiter Hawk, on the other hand, is much larger in size and weight. A female baby Accipiter Hawk measures 29 to 37 cm in length and has a wingspan of 58 to 68 cm. They can also range in weight from 150 to 219 grams (5.3 to 7.7 oz).
If we compare the average length, weight, and wingspan of the Cooper’s Hawk with the Sharp-Shinned Hawk then this is what it would look like:
| Bird | Length | Weight | Wingspan |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm) | 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g) | 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm) |
| Sharp-Shinned Hawk | 9.4-13.4 in (24-34 cm) | 3.1-7.7 oz (87-218 g) | 16.9-22.1 in (43-56 cm) |
Although both of these birds are hawks, the Cooper’s Hawk is larger in terms of all height, weight, and wingspan than the Sharp-Shinned Hawk.
Cooper’s Hawk Vs Osprey Size Comparison
Another hawk on the list, is the Osprey. However, the Osprey is a Sea Hawk. Ospreys are large, distinctively shaped hawks.
If we look at the size of the Osprey, then its average length is about 21.3-22.8 in (54-58 cm), weighs 49.4-70.5 oz (1400-2000 g), and has a wingspan of about 59.1-70.9 in (150-180 cm).
On the other hand, the Cooper’s Hawk has a length of 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm), weighs 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g) and has a wingspan of about 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm).
If we compare the average length, weight, and wingspan of the Cooper’s Hawk with the Osprey then this is what it would look like:
| Bird | Length | Weight | Wingspan |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm) | 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g) | 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm) |
| Osprey | 21.3-22.8 in (54-58 cm) | 49.4-70.5 oz (1400-2000 g) | 59.1-70.9 in (150-180 cm) |
The Cooper’s Hawk is much smaller than the osprey. The Osprey is double the length and triple the weight of the Cooper’s Hawk. Additionally, the Osprey has a much larger wingspan.
Cooper’s Hawk Vs Northern Goshawk Size Comparison
Last but not least is the Northern Goshawk. The goshawk is often referred to as a “true hawk” because it belongs to the genus Accipiter.
Moreover, the Northern Goshawk is a formidable predator of the northern and mountain woods.
The Northern Goshawk is a larger, more ferocious, and wild relative of the Cooper’s Hawks and the Sharp-shinned, which prowl suburbs and backyards.
Looking at the size of the Goshawk, it has an average length of about 20.9-25.2 in (53-64 cm), weighs 22.3-48.1 oz (631-1364 g) and has a wingspan of about 40.5-46.1 in (103-117 cm).
If we compare the average length, weight, and wingspan of the Cooper’s Hawk with the Northern Goshawk then this is what it would look like:
| Birds | Length | Weight | Wingspan |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm) | 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g) | 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm) |
| Northern Goshawk | 20.9-25.2 in (53-64 cm) | 22.3-48.1 oz (631-1364 g) | 40.5-46.1 in (103-117 cm) |
The Goshawk as said earlier, is large and is almost double the length, weight, and wingspan of the Cooper’s Hawk.
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the size of Cooper’s Hawk. I hope this article was informative enough and you got something useful from it.
Thank You For Reading!
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