Cooper’s Hawks are a small-medium sized species, and the males are known to be quite smaller than the females.
The adult hawks are an overall gray color with pastel, orange-colored barring on their chests. The immature hawks, however, are usually brown.
This species is also known for having small wings and round tails. These hawks are year-round residents in New Hampshire, although they are not as common in the northern region of the state.
They take habitat in hardwood, softwood and mixed forests, which also includes woodlots and suburban forests.
You’ll most likely spot them in March throughout July as they are more noticeable during breeding season.
You can easily recognize this species because of the loud, “cak-cak-cak” sound they both males and females tend to give during breeding season.
The call usually lasts anywhere from 2-5 seconds long, but the hawks tend to be silent the remainder of the year.