4 replies to this topic

[Curlybird]

I have a question regarding Cooper's Hawks and the sounds they make.

Right near my office there is a nest high in a tree that Cooper's Hawks are going to. I know they are Cooper's Hawks (vs. Sharp Shinned) because I have heard their normal "call" (kak-kak-kak or however it is).

Recently though I have heard a Cooper's Hawk in a tree just outside my office making a whining kind of sound, almost like juveniles begging, very different from normal Cooper's sound. At first I thought there were fledglings from the nest but when I looked at the bird making the sound through binocs I discovered it was an adult (based on the plumage, etc)

Do adult Coopers sometimes make different sounds? Just wondering. Maybe it's the female calling for the male??

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I haven't heard Cooper's make that particular sound, but I will say that most birds are capable (and do) make a variety of sounds other than their regular calls and songs. You could also check http://www.xeno-cant...cies_nr=jymvbn. They have a number of recordings listed as "call near nest" or "contact call" which might match up with what you're hearing.

Hope this helps!

[psweet]

Wheeler lists a couple of additional calls, one given when approaching a nest and another when "curious or mildly agitated".

[creeker]

Spend a lot of time around any raptor and you are bound to hear a few call that the field guides don't list. The guides mainly list the most commonly heard calls.

[Curlybird]

Thanks all - took another peek at nest today through binocs and saw at least two fledglings, one eating a bird and the other watching; it's possible some of the begging I've been hearing IS the fledglings, too, as I have seen them fly by and perched in the trees