Meet the Cooper’s
Text and Photos: Beverly Kune

Spring has returned to Leonora Curtin. Where only weeks before all was brown and seemingly dead, plants and flowers are beginning to show themselves, once again coming back to life. The preserve is greening up, spots of color dotting the landscape. Sounds fill the air as many species of birds return and begin to nest. Most exciting of all is the return of the Cooper’s Hawks who have made Leonora Curtin their home. Cooper’s Hawks are Accipiters, short-winged, long tailed hawks. Agile flyers, they are able to fly with ease through tree cover

The male Cooper's surveys his territory high above the pond. His hackles are raised, giving his head a squarish appearance. Early morning, late April 2009	Mother Cooper's in the nest, April 2009 … note the speck visible in her eye

The male is usually smaller, with more grey in his feathering around the ears; the female more rufous. The adult Cooper’s have eyes ranging in color from light orange to red, eye color varying (and usually darkening) with age. In the pair at Leonora Curtin, the male has red eyes, the female orange. Last year her eyes were paler …. more yellow in color. She has a darker speck in her left eye, which is readily visible in some of the photos.

To the delight of all, the Cooper’s made their nest and successfully raised two young last year in a Cottonwood close to the kiosk. They were first spotted in early May 2008, harvesting branches from a nearby Cottonwood to painstakingly build their nest. It was thrilling to see their return to the same nest mid-April of this year. New nests are often built each year, but nests may be reused for up to three years.

They had a head start on nest-building this year, needing only to repair and remodel. I watched as one or the other flew back and forth between the neighboring Cottonwood and Juniper trees in the Uplands, plucking whatever branches were needed and carrying them back to the nest.

Plucking branches from an adjacent cottonwood, the Cooper's brings the branches back to renovate the nest.	Tail up in the air, the branches are adjusted to get everything to her liking.
Taking a break, sitting in the newly remodeled nest. Sprigs of fresh juniper can be seen on the outside of the nest.	July 3, 2008 Mother Cooper's on the nest. The nests are built high up in the fork of a big Cottonwood - as can be seen, they are built to be very deep as well as sturdy. Notice her pale orange eyes.

Last year at least three eggs were laid, hatching a number of days apart. Incubation time is approximately 34 to 36 days. Three nestlings were observed in early July, although only two survived.

Baby Cooper's in the nest - July 27, 2008. Count the beaks - there are clearly three chicks in the nest, but only two survived. The one on the right is the oldest and biggest of the chicks.	Two chicks clearly visible - one is definitely the older, and the bigger of the two. Here the size and age difference between the two is readily apparent. Note also the difference in feathering on the younger bird.
Late July 2008 - Partly fledged. Note the light blue eyes and the heavily streaked breast.	Late July 2008
Young Cooper's - August 9, 2008 The older of the two surviving chicks, this bird is almost fully fledged, and will be leaving the nest soon. Note the difference in feathering from the previous photo, and the light blue eyes.	Young Cooper's - August 9, 2008. At this point the young bird is hopping and climbing from branch to branch, but hasn't yet flown.

The two siblings - August 9, 2008 The older bird (back to us on the left) and its younger sibling. Note the difference in feathering on the younger bird, which still has its baby markings. It takes about 30-34 days for the youngsters to fledge; they reach independence in about 56 days.

We eagerly await the results of this year’s nesting. Check here throughout the summer for updated photos. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for the Cooper’s. The male will often hunt while the female is brooding, but will sit on the nest to incubate while the female feeds. He will also transfer food to the female at a point away from the nest; the female then returns to the nest to feed the nestlings. The Cooper’s are both aerial and perch hunters, and often perch at lower heights in branches or dense foliage to surprise prey (primarily small birds and rodents). They are beautiful flyers, and a treat to watch in the air. Cooper’s will also pursue prey by foot into dense vegetation when needed.

We are lucky indeed to have these beautiful birds make Leonora Curtin their home.

Visit www.santafebotanicalgarden.org to learn more about how Santa Fe Botanical Garden
celebrates, cultivates and conserves the rich botanical heritage and biodiversity of the region.