Cooper's Hawk
Cooper's Hawk has surged: up 184% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Cooper's Hawk
The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 2,408 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 48 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Cooper's Hawk Trends
No notable trend signals for Cooper's Hawk. See the full index history below.
Cooper's Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Cooper's Hawk is projected to rise about 18% by 2029 — from 0.10 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.12 (95% range 0.10–0.15). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±13.6%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.14 |
| 2026 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.14 |
| 2027 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.14 |
| 2028 | 0.12 | 0.10 | 0.14 |
| 2029 | 0.12 | 0.10 | 0.15 |
Where the Cooper's Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Cooper's Hawk, sized by most recent count.
Cooper's Hawk Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +255% | 1968 | 90 |
| Arizona | -26% | 1974 | 38 |
| Arkansas | +186% | 1970 | 31 |
| California | +11% | 1970 | 160 |
| Colorado | -21% | 1974 | 72 |
| Connecticut | +38% | 1981 | 17 |
| Delaware | +164% | 1996 | 12 |
| Florida | +44% | 1968 | 69 |
| Georgia | +84% | 1971 | 78 |
| Idaho | -87% | 1976 | 28 |
| Illinois | +982% | 1980 | 90 |
| Indiana | +110% | 1975 | 63 |
| Iowa | +244% | 1995 | 23 |
| Kansas | +204% | 1981 | 38 |
| Kentucky | +192% | 1968 | 48 |
| Louisiana | -21% | 1973 | 52 |
| Maine | +33% | 1983 | 20 |
| Maryland | 13× | 1968 | 64 |
| Massachusetts | +107% | 1983 | 21 |
| Michigan | +82% | 1969 | 65 |
| Minnesota | +55% | 1975 | 48 |
| Mississippi | -36% | 1973 | 33 |
| Missouri | +129% | 1977 | 57 |
| Montana | -80% | 1974 | 37 |
| Nebraska | +156% | 2000 | 26 |
| Nevada | -8% | 1997 | 15 |
| New Hampshire | +23% | 1987 | 16 |
| New Jersey | +359% | 1988 | 25 |
| New Mexico | -71% | 1979 | 44 |
| New York | +765% | 1970 | 84 |
| North Carolina | +102% | 1970 | 85 |
| North Dakota | +11% | 1979 | 31 |
| Ohio | +78% | 1968 | 75 |
| Oklahoma | +117% | 1973 | 46 |
| Oregon | -40% | 1974 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | +366% | 1969 | 106 |
| Rhode Island | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| South Carolina | -37% | 1968 | 30 |
| South Dakota | +127% | 2000 | 14 |
| Tennessee | +635% | 1968 | 41 |
| Texas | +320% | 1975 | 109 |
| Utah | -72% | 1982 | 50 |
| Vermont | -13% | 1973 | 17 |
| Virginia | +185% | 1973 | 52 |
| Washington | -3% | 1972 | 52 |
| West Virginia | -66% | 1970 | 46 |
| Wisconsin | +108% | 1970 | 82 |
| Wyoming | -52% | 1982 | 34 |
Cooper's Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Cooper's Hawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 184% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.