An Observed Instance of Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) Predation on a Chicken in an Urban Environment

Authors

Don Arp Jr., Lincoln, NEFollow

Date of this Version

9-2018

Document Type

Article

Citation

The Nebraska Bird Review Vol. 86 No. 3 (2018), pp 124-127

Comments

Published by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc.

Abstract

On February 21, 2015, I had the opportunity to observe a Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) attack, kill, and feed on a chicken in an urban environment.

The attack occurred around 1:10 p.m. on February 21, 2015, in Lincoln, Nebraska, in a residential area that is often referred to as the Bethany neighborhood. With large mature trees and landscape hedges, it provided excellent cover for the hawk’s attack. Weather data for that day show a low temperature of 18 degrees Fahrenheit and a high temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. There was residual snow cover in some areas, as Lincoln had experienced snowfall on February 1 (4.9 inches) and February 4 (6.6 inches).