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FALCONIFORMES 
Nesting. In trees, usually conifers. 
Distribution. Nests in most of the wooded sections of Canada except in the more 
southern parts, north to the tree limit. A common migrant nearly everywhere. 
This is one of the smallest hawks we have. It has not the sustained 
strength or persistency of the "Noble Falcons,” but it is active and agile. 
It makes bold dashes at its prey, but on missing the stroke seldom follows 
it up by pursuit and almost never strikes on the wing, as the falcons do. 
Economic Status. This is the species that should have been called 
"American Sparrow Hawk” instead of the little falcon that has been 
so named. It is a close relative, and the 
American representative of the European 
Sparrow Hawk, which is also an Accipiter. 
The name would suit this bird excellently as 
sparrows and other small birds are its favour- 
ite food. 
Of 107 stomachs examined, 6 contained 
poultry or game-birds; 99, other birds; 6, 
mice; and 5, insects. This gives 105 harmful 
food items against 11 good ones. The mice 
consisted of no more than 9 individuals, but 
the small birds numbered 115, from Kinglets 
to a Mourning Dove in size. This makes a 
strong case against this otherwise rather 
interesting species. One good w x ord can be said for this little hawk; it 
is fond of the English Sparrows and takes toll of their flocks about the 
smaller towns and cities. 
Figure 181 
Specific details of Sharp-shinned 
Hawk; scale, 1. 
333. Cooper’s Hawk, chicken hawk. l’£pervier de cooper. Accipiter cooperi. 
L, 15-50. A rather small hawk, between the Sharp-shinned and Goshawk in size (f igure 
175 — 4 )_ Almost exactly similar in colour and plumage sequence to the Sharp-shinned 
Hawk (-See description of that species), 
but larger. 
Distinctions. Easily separated from 
the smaller falcons, the Sparrow Hawk, 
and the Pigeon Hawk, by its accipitrine 
characters of round wing and untoothed 
bill (Figures 176 and 177, compare with 
210 and 211). Most likely to be confused 
with the Sharp-shinned or Broad-winged 
Hawks. Usually separated from the 
Sharp-shinned by larger size; but a small 
male may measure closely to the size of 
a large female of that species. A bird 
over 16 inches should be this species; 
under 14, a Sharp-shinned. The tarsus 
of Cooper’s Hawk is heavier and the 
tail is rounded instead of being square 
or slightly forked when closed (Figure 
1S2, compare with 181). 
Occasional very large females may 
approach a small Goshawk in size. A 
bird 19 inches or under should be a 
Cooper’s Hawk. In no plumage does it 
resemble the adult Goshawk, but juven- 
iles of the two species have a very 
similar coloration. The best distinction 
other than size is the feathering of the 
leg. In Cooper’s Hawk, less than one- 
Figure 182 
Specific details of Cooper’s Hawk: 
foot and tail, scale, 
wing tip, scale, J. 
