Cooper's Hawks (Housing a Breeding Pair)

[Dan Paradis]

I have a young pair of Coopers and I'm curious to know how those who breeds them or any accipiters if you provide a seperate chamber during the off season like Gos's or if they cope well together all year long...


Dan

[Dan Paradis]

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[Ben Wallace]

Hi Dan,
a friend of mine used to have a couple of pairs,......and yes 1 or 2 males did get killed but over a fair number of years. Some do,....some don't,.....just like people. What really sucks is if you have a established breeding pair,.......and then she killes him,.....takes along time to get a male up to maturity again.

It might be wise to separate them,.....especially if the pen is not large.

Or put them in adjoining pens with a viewing window.

Incidently,...one of my best laying peales females has now taken to almost killing her mate in the off season. I watch it on camera,....it starts as a game,...with her moving him around the chamber,.....then she will close and crab/grab him,.....gives me chest pains!!!

This year I will have to separate them when their horomones go down after raising the young.

Good luck,....your harris is doing great.

Sincerely,
Ben Wallace

[Dan Paradis]

Ben,

Thanks for the post,

Indeed the same happened to me with a breeding pair or Lanners...had to change pairs..

About Coopers, they were already kept together since a year by the breeder with no problems, but I might decide to place some panels to seperate from constant eye sight, I know it works for them and the Gos's.

Looking forward to your mhh :supz:

Dan

[Jack]

Dan, in the wild state the male is the one that owns the nesting territory. He initiates nest building. So if you seperate them you would want to have the nest in the tiercels chamber. It would be safer for him if she were then introduced into his space rather than him into hers. I would also cope the talons and beak as short as possible so that it will make it harder for them to injure one another. This is very important. Also, I would make it to where he can go back and forth between the chambers. It might also be good to keep her chambered completely away from the actual breeding chambers so that she does not develop territorial aggression against the male.

Jack

[Dan Paradis]

Hey Jack, here's pics of the birds for the true austringers :twisted:

[Jack]

Beautiful birds both. I particularly like the light face of the female. I seldom get to see that here. The birds from the west seem to be much darker than our eastern birds, but then now and then I get to see one that is very light on the face. Here are some pics of some of my birds in the past. All eastern birds.

Jack

[Dan Paradis]

Jack, also...probably the only austringry bird capable of catching a Ruffed Grouse from our eastern woods. :box: anyway it catches everything