{"id":119431,"date":"2024-01-01T04:58:24","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T11:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=119431"},"modified":"2024-01-01T14:41:24","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T21:41:24","slug":"coopers-hawk-my-last-bird-of-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/01\/coopers-hawk-my-last-bird-of-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooper’s Hawk – My Last Bird of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the sun was setting on the last day of 2023, the last bird I saw was a neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk. I shared that sighting with my neighbor, Shane, and his son, Kadence.<\/p>\n

\"NeighborhoodNeighborhood Cooper’s Hawk – November 2022 \u2013 Nikon D500, f9, 1\/500, ISO 500, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\nI had gone out to move my Jeep into the driveway for the night when I saw the hawk lift off from Shane’s Sycamore tree.<\/p>\n

I always look forward to seeing what bird will be the first bird I see in a New Year. Last evening, I wanted to know which would be my last of the year.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Last night, Shane and I talked about the Cooper’s Hawks we see in the neighborhood and about the lack of birds we are seeing lately too. Shane and I text each other about new or neat birds in the neighborhood. I also do that with Kimmy, his wife. I love our neighborhood bird chats!<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

In 2024, the common name for Cooper’s Hawk should change<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I am 100% behind the commitment of the American Ornithological Society<\/span><\/a> (AOS) to changing all English-language names of birds within its geographic jurisdiction that are named directly after people.<\/p>\n

I really don’t care if other people have a different opinion about that than I do; I don’t seek their approval for my own thoughts.<\/p>\n

What I do know is that the name “Cooper’s” says nothing descriptive about this hawk species; it simply sounds possessive. Even arrogantly possessive.<\/p>\n

“Pale-naped Hawk,” “Dark-capped Hawk,” or even “Forest Hawk” sound much better because they either describe the appearance of the hawk or the habitat we can often find them in. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new name for this hawk species will be.<\/p>\n

Today<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As I write this, it is still pitch dark in northern Utah on this first day of 2024. I don’t know what the first bird I will see this year will be, but I do know I will be happy, even excited, to see what it is.<\/p>\n

Happy New Year, everyone!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Cooper\u2019s Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the sun was setting on the last day of 2023, the last bird I saw was a neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk. I shared that sighting with my neighbor, Shane, and his son, Kadence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,5715,709,26],"tags":[10402,5397,4004,5717,970,2663,6577,5716,4620,4033,4169,4062,153,4018,4427,8018],"class_list":["post-119431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-coopers-hawks","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-accipiter","tag-accipiters","tag-adult","tag-astur-cooperii","tag-autumn","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-branches","tag-coopers-hawk","tag-fall","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-male","tag-raptors","tag-sky","tag-tree","tag-urban"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/coopers-hawk-adult-male-aspen-mia-mcpherson-5015.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-v4j","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61903,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/12\/07\/immature-coopers-hawk-appearing-just-a-bit-goofy\/","url_meta":{"origin":119431,"position":0},"title":"Immature Cooper’s Hawk Appearing Just A Bit Goofy","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes raptors can look deadly serious and intense, especially when they are watching, diving on or consuming prey but they can appear to look a little goofy too.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Cooper's Hawk making a face while scratching, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/coopers-hawk-immature-funny-face-mia-mcpherson-2933.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/coopers-hawk-immature-funny-face-mia-mcpherson-2933.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/coopers-hawk-immature-funny-face-mia-mcpherson-2933.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":76602,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/12\/31\/2020-photographic-year-in-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":119431,"position":1},"title":"2020 Photographic Year In Review","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This is my 2020 photographic year in review. 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The last time we saw her at the nest box was Sunday evening.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Eastern Bluebird perched in an oak tree, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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