They nest in the mature elms and maples on our street in front of our house. I feed my birds in my back yard where the hawks can't view them from the mature trees. A neighbor nearby set up a feeder in the middle of his yard, but soon noticed that the hawks would swoop in and make a meal out of them as they had a clear view from their nesting site. So he strategically moved his feeder location out of their view. I've landscaped my back yard to give birds various shrubs and trees, including evergreens, for shelter and protection from predators. When I see the Coopers Hawk (or chicken hawk as my neighbor calls them) exploring my back yard, I chase him away.

Hi Johanna, First of all thanks for letting the hawk go unharmed. Yes it is illegal to harm or kill them, but still not everybody would have acted in a way respectful of the law (and the animal!) in your situation. You did the best thing by securing the coop; the best way to avoid having one of your chicken grabbed through the wire by any predator would be to use 2 layers of fence, 12 inches appart or so. Where there is a chicken coop, there are Coopers, but also racoons and those are much more destructive than a bird of prey. Then if the Cooper has no access, it will understand in time and move on, checking in once in a while. These birds have a high metabolism and need to eat on a daily basis so he won't loose his time on a lost cause. If it becomes a real problem, you can call your state or your state falconry association to have a falconer come and legally trap the hawk for you. The bird will then be released unharmed in an area that can sustain it and where he won't disturb anyone. But with chickens, be ready to see predators once in a while. Good luck! Audrey

This is absolutely an adult Cooper's Hawk with the dark "capped" appearance to the head and also the grey auriculars (cheeks). Tails really cannot be assessed from the dorsal view (Cooper's show graduated lengths and Sharp-shinned show even lengths, but this is best assessed from the underside of the tail). Sharp-shinned Hawks do not show grey cheeks, either. The grey cheeks are exclusive to adult male Cooper's Hawks, and the very bluish slate colored back and wings further support male (female adult Coops are duller).

For the last several years, I have had a pair of Coopers Hawk, Red Shouldered and a Red Tail nest in the acres around me. For 2 yrs I was fortunate to have a gray phase red tail. I would say that as long as they feel safe and fed, they will be back.