[wisb] Re: Pileated Woodpecker killed by Hawk
- From: korducki@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: dsachs1962@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:51:35 +0000
I wonder if it could have been a larger, more powerful raptor like a goshawk?
I think a Cooper's could kill a pileated but not sure if it could carry it off
without going to the ground.
Mark Korducki, New Berlin
Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone
-----Original Message-----
From: DAVID SACHS <dsachs1962@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sender: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:07:00
To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: dsachs1962@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [wisb] Pileated Woodpecker killed by Hawk
Hello Everyone,
We live about 10 miles north of Appleton in a rural area. Our house sits next
to a 2 acre wooded area with many old trees. We let the trees go through their
normal life cycle and never use a chain saw in this old woods. Last summer
many of the old trees were blown over or the tops broke off - greatly improving
the wildlife viewing out our patio door. Outside this pation door we have many
different bird feeders where we feed corn, black oil sunflower seed, niger
seed, suet and safflower seed. We have fed wild birds in this way for 20 years.
This winter we have been observing a pileated woodpecker on our suet feeder
that is located about 2 feet outside the patio door. Although we have seen
many pileated woodpeckers in northern WI this is the first one we have ever
seen on our suet feeder. He came everyday and we enjoyed watching him. Our 15
year old son became attached to him and actually named him.
Last Sunday morning I was sitting at the kitchen table with my son watching the
pileated woodpecker pound away on the suet. All of a sudden there was almost
an explosion outside the window and feathers flew everywhere. A hawk of some
type (maybe a coopers hawk?) traveling faster than any bird I have ever seen in
our backyard came from left to right and took the pileated woodpecker.
Whatever type of hawk it was took the woodpecker and was gone with it in a
fraction of a second. It seemed to come from above at a 45 degree angle and
exit at a 45 degree angle all at incredible speed. I never saw something as
powerful and loud at such close range. Every other bird at our feeders at the
time disappeared in a split second. Since this time we have only had a modest
number of birds at the feeders in a location where we get many hundreds of
birds a day. I have not been able to spot the hawk in any adjacent areas.
Our son feels terrible about all of this. It was an awesome sight to observe
but somewhat hurtful in a different way.
We have had coopers hawks occassionally capture smaller birds in our yard.
Although everything happened so fast and there is no way I could give a good
description of the hawk - does it seem feasible that this was most likely a
coopers hawk? I am not sure if a pileated woodpecker pushes the size limit of
prey for a coopers hawk especially considering that the hawk captured the
woodpecker and carried it off, without going to the ground, at full speed. As
I said I have seen coopers hawks make kills in our yard but this was a whole
different type of thing. Just interested in people's thoughts.
Dave Sachs
Seymour, WI
Outagamie County
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