Great Horned Owl and a Cooper's Hawk

On November of 2021, a juvenile Cooper's Hawk was heard squawking loudly. When Instructional Coordinator Carly took a look, she saw the reason why. In the neighboring tree, a large Great Horned Owl sat perched, falling asleep. The Cooper's Hawk spent the next ten minutes flying all around the owl with the owl not paying attention to it at all.

 

The Cooper's Hawk juvenile can be identified by the yellow eyes (Cooper's Hawks have red eyes when they mature), brown "drips" of feathers on a white chest, and a rounded white terminal band on its tail. Cooper's Hawks have long tails, prefer living in woodlands, and are very stealthy hunters.

 

Great Horned Owls are the quintessential owl with their typical deep series of four to five hoots. They are aggressive and powerful hunters with impeccable hearing and low-light vision. What a sight to behold!

 

Photos were taken at a distance with a zoom lens.

 

Great Horned Owl

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk

Great Horned Owl (left) and Cooper's Hawk (Right)