Adults have solid gray upperparts, barred with reddish-brown. Their long tails are barred gray and black, rounded at the ends, with a white band at the tips. Their eyes are red.
Immature birds resemble small Goshawks with brown above and brown streaking on their white underparts; they have yellow eyes.
Sized between a Goshawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Commonly hunts birds around backyard bird feeders.
Wild-caught Cooper’s Hawks are high-strung and difficult to train; legally acquired nestlings are more trainable for falconry purposes.
Will take a wide variety of avian quarry including quail, dove, and pheasant.