Cooper's Hawk

Description:

This hawk, perched in my backyard, found it's niche in a suburban neighborhood preying upon pigeons and doves. It;s low level, zooming in and out of yards in this tract housing development provided bountiful meals. It was always took me by surprise as it swooped, dodged, and crashed in, out, and around trees and shrubs.

Habitat:

The Cooper’s Hawk occur in various types of mixed deciduous forests and open woodlands, including small woodlots, riparian woodlands in dry country, open and pinyon woodlands, and forested mountainous regions and also now nests in many cities.[7] They were once thought to be adverse to cities and towns, but are now fairly common urban and suburban birds. The cities provide plenty Rock Pigeon and Mourning Dove for the Cooper’s Hawk to prey on. *"Cooper's Hawk". Cornell University. April 19, 2010 http://allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_H...

Notes:

I assume this individual lived in the neighborhood as I had frequent sitings, many of them while it was consuming a pigeon.