The Cooper's Hawk - by Robert Rosenfield (Paperback)

About the Book

The Cooper's Hawk presents the general reader and professional biologists interested in birds and nature, with an authoritative account of the breeding biology of the what is perhaps the most abundant, backyard breeding raptor in North America.

From the Back Cover

The Cooper's Hawk presents the general reader and professional biologists interested in birds and nature, with an authoritative account of the breeding biology of the what is perhaps the most abundant, backyard breeding raptor in North America. This urban status exists despite cross-generational human persecution through shooting of individuals and indirect felling of forests, their apparent preferred nesting habitat. Using conversational prose, the natural history of the bird's diet, including bird feeder use and disease concerns, courtship behavior, and the ecological themes of breeding density, reproductive success, and adult survivorship are described. There too is a focus on how and why fieldwork is conducted on this ubiquitous city dweller who preys mostly on birds, or 'urban fast food.' How urban birds may differ from their rural counterparts is addressed, and especially highlighted is the novel aspect of reproductive deceit in this red-eyed, blue-backed predator, as, unlike all other birds of prey studied to date, it is highly promiscuous. The text is complemented with original art and especially crisp photographs that demonstrate this bird's natural history.

Review Quotes

Robert Rosenfield's 40-year investigation of the Cooper's Hawk reveals surprising details about this beguiling species, one that flourishes in our neighborhoods despite an earlier threat of extinction. Imagine the diminutive breadwinner male slipping silently through his woodland territory, accelerating in a burst of agile pursuit while his larger, stronger spouse guards her nestlings. This is the risky world of forbidden romance, mortal combat between rivals, and the nuances of habitat selection and territorial partitioning. Dr. Rosenfield explores the evolutionary "whys" of such things and keeps it fun by sharing his personal experiences. The book is, cover-to-cover, a Naturalist's adventure, an exhilaration for the mind and spirit.-- Dr. Grainger HUnt, The Peregrine Fund

This is not only a great book on the Cooper's Hawk as an incredibly adaptive raptorial bird, but it is also one of the best books focused on a single-species that I have ever read! With a lifetime of experience working with these birds in the field, his insightful and brilliant scientific mind, and his easy-to-read writing style, Bob Rosenfield has hit one out of the park! A must buy for bird-watchers and ornithologists alike! -- Dr. David Bird, McGill University

When I hear 'Theory of Relativity', I think Einstein. When I hear 'Cooper's Hawk' I think Robert Rosenfield. Of 47 or so global members of the genus Accipiter, Cooper's Hawk is the only endemic member north of Mexico. Bob Rosenfield has full command of the knowledge of that species and this book is everything we have come to expect from Bob. It is the final authoritative treatise on the biology and natural history of the Cooper's Hawk, period. -- Dr. Clayton White, Professor, Brigham Young University