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Record fledging count from a seven-egg clutch in the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

November 20, 2020

Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) typically lay 3–5 eggs per clutch, rarely 6 eggs, and there are 2 accounts of 7-egg clutches and 1 record of a maximum 8-egg clutch for the species. Brood sizes of 3–5 young are common and the previous maximum brood count is 6 young. However, in 2019, we found an urban nest in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with 7 eggs that resulted in a record high of 7 fledglings. We genetically confirmed that the attending male sired all the offspring and the attending female laid all 7 eggs. Larger body size of the tending adults may have been a factor in the exceptional reproduction reported here.

Publication Year 2021
Title Record fledging count from a seven-egg clutch in the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
DOI 10.1676/1559-4491-132.2.460
Authors Robert N. Rosenfield, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Ann Elizabeth Riddle-Berntsen, Evan Kuhel
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Index ID 70216890
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Alaska Science Center Biology WTEB