Edward Favre wrote:Although I have not seen them as close-up as in these great photos, I think I have seen them around our stretch of the freeway.
Ed,
I'll bet that the hawks you are seeing around the freeway are Red Tailed Hawks. Those often sit on the high light posts along the highway. Their hunting style is to sit on a high perch or fly high until they see see their prey, then dive on it.
Cooper's Hawks are more close-in hunters that count on surprise. They fly through trees and bushes to attack their prey in a very aggressive fashion. I've seen them actually half-run and half-fly across the ground to grab a chipmunk.
It is reported that almost 25% of Cooper's Hawks show evidence of broken bones from attacking through dense vegetation.
Cooper's hawks are very well adapted to urban and suburban living. They like to poach at bird feeders and will often attack a feeder by approaching the opposite side of a home from the feeder, then quickly dive down on unsuspecting birds and squirrels. Really fun to watch.
If you see a hawk flying low around your home in Lakewood, it is most likely a Cooper's Hawk. The Red Tailed hawks are more high-flying and high-perching in areas where they can get a wide view.
Steve
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