Cooper's Hawks are also known as Chicken Hawks, because they preyed on farmers chickens. They were heavily hunted by farmers for this reason.
Because Cooper's Hawks feed primarily on birds, they have to fly through vegetation and trees to catch their prey. A study of more than 300 Cooper's Hawk skeletons showed 23% had old healed fractures.
A Cooper's Hawk catches its prey with its feet and squeezes it repeatedly to kill it. They also have been known to hold their prey underwater to drown it.