As accipiters age, their eyes get progressively darker. Also note the dark cap. Adults have blue-gray upperparts with a reddish barred breast and belly. Juveniles are brown on the upper parts with a buffy streaked breast and belly. The tail is rounded at the end due to the middle tail feathers or deck feathers being longer than the outer tail feathers.
Adults have a reddish breast with light barring.
Juveniles have a brown streaked beast. Cooper's hawks fly with a flap flap glide wing beat. Adult Cooper's Hawk Note barred breast Juvenile Cooper's Hawk Cooper's hawks are agile forest hawks. They feed mostly on smaller birds. The long curved tail helps them maneuver through forests while hunting.