Cooper's Hawks Raising Young in a Neighborhood Near You

ALBUQUERQUE -- If you reside in Albuquerque, Cooper's hawks are a wildlife neighbor of yours. Cooper's hawks live in almost every area of the city where there are trees. They prey mainly on pigeons and doves. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is conducting a Cooper's hawk study around the city to learn more about nest density, productivity and survival rates of adults and chicks. Diet, disease, home ranges and other information also are collected. Cooper's hawks can become very defensive between May and July from the time their eggs hatch until the young move out of the nest. Once the young move out, the parents settle down. "This is the third year of a study on nest-site aggression toward humans in Cooper's hawks," said Kristin Madden, permits and biological information specialist with the Department. "It starts right when chicks hatch." A rehabilitated great horned owl behind a mist net is used as a lure. As the Cooper's hawks attempt to chase off the owl, they are captured in the net. After being banded and measured, the hawks are released. Cooper's hawks are the size of a crow and build stick nests throughout the city.