Friday's Foto

The thousands of migrating songbirds passing through Brooklyn inevitably bring the raptors that feed on them. This juvenile Cooper's Hawk at the edge of the Butterfly Meadow in Brooklyn's Prospect Park was attracted by a flock of sparrows and goldfinches feeding among the wildflowers. A true woodland hawk, they are designed to quickly and easily maneuver around trees in pursuit of their prey. If you maintain birdfeeders in the winter months, you could expect to see a "coop" lurking around in search of easy pickins'. The Cooper's Hawk and smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk are sometimes very difficult to differentiate. Click here for identification tips.