[birdky] RPT-Cooper's Hawk Behavior
- From: "Gerald Robe" <ghrobe@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:43:03 -0400
A while back I posted that I had seen an Accipiter sp. dive into the top of a
cedar tree, then climb down to the bottom in pursuit of prey. I think I've got
that one topped today.
I stepped out onto my back porch, and I saw a Cooper's Hawk flying low across
my yard next to the row of brush on the edge of my property. I grabbed my
binoculars to get a good look at it. The hawk landed on the ground, then walked
about 3 feet. Suddenly, it jumped into the hedgerow without using its wings and
there was an explosion of House Sparrows flying out of the brush. The hawk
emerged a few seconds later clutching a struggling sparrow in one of its
talons.
For several minutes, the hawk seemed to be playing "cat-and-mouse" with its
prey. It would let the sparrow go, and then pounce on it after it had gotten a
foot or so away. The sparrow twice managed to get all the way back into the
hedge, but then the hawk would jump in, catch it and drag it back out. Even
after the sparrow had died, the hawk continued to play with it, tossing the
sparrow with its beak and then pouncing on it. After some time, the hawk
finally settled down and started plucking feathers from its prey before it
started to eat.
I usually think of raptors catching their prey by stooping from the air. It was
really a surprise to see one hunting on foot!
Gerald H. Robe
Mt. Sterling, KY
ghrobe@xxxxxxxxx
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