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Author
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Topic: Chicken Hawk Fight
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JoeF
resides "back east"
Member # 228
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posted April 05, 2008 09:39 PM
OK, somebody peel CDog off the ceiling...
I spend as much time outside as most people and saw a first today.
I was working outside pulling up a grove of trees that a previous owner had planted way to thick to ever amount to anything. I shut the tractor off to pile up some of what I had uprooted and became aware of a plane circling the place. I was holding a pretty heavy tree by the root wad end but took the time to glance skyward. The plane was there plain to see but what really caught my eye was a red-tailed hawk that was soaring around way higher than they normally fly. As I watched I saw another bird drop in from even higher. It looked like a falcon with his wings folded to about 1/3 of their length in the high-speed dive mode. This bird nailed the first at full speed. There was a very obvious impact and the dive bomber flexed his wings to their full extension and held them there. The one who was hit was pretty much motionless for the first second or so, then feebly flapped his wings for about a second, then they both held their wings extended and did a slow helicopter as they fell. During all of this there were multiple screams like a red-tail will give when soaring around hoping to kick something up.
I watched the slow-mo helicopter for a good 5 second count before I had to focus my attention on the tree trunk I was holding. I diverted my attention for no more than 10 seconds and when I looked back up there was only one bird soaring around. I suspect that the attacker let go of his victim and he dropped dead to the ground. If he were still airborne I would have been able to see him.
I've never seen anything like it. Way to violent to be some sort of mating ritual, this was pure chickenhawkicide. Pretty amazing. They were high enough that I couldn't swear for a fact that they were both red-tails but I'm reasonably confident that they were.
Posts: 646 | From: Midwest | Registered: Aug 2003
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Cdog911
"There are some ideas so absurd only an intellectual could believe them."--George Orwell.
Member # 7
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posted April 06, 2008 05:31 AM
Hahaha..., I actually bristled a bit at that title until I read the first sentence.
It's very likely that what you saw was, in fact, a bit of courtship as the male "aggressor" is noticeably smaller than the female and that little airborne tussle is quite common. It's that time of the year for them, you know, and this is a more plausible explanation that any conflict between two species.
Think how interesting dating would be for us if we were like that. You go out to the store or to your favorite club and there she is. The woman of your dreams. You circle her a couple times, giving her sideways glances, then tackle her and just beat the crap out of her. Why? Be cause you're in love. Ain't it grand?!? ![[Wink]](wink.gif) It'd sure make it easier to spot the ones that are spoken for, with all the bruises and scrapes and stuff.
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I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and, because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
Posts: 5438 | From: The gun-lovin', gun-friendly wild, wild west | Registered: Jan 2003
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NASA
Knows what it's all about
Member # 177
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posted April 06, 2008 05:37 AM
Joe, what you saw actually was a mating ritual. Paired hawks, and eagles, will dive (stoop) at each other this time of year, and put on a real show of aerobatics. Often, they will lock talons and helicopter from great heights, not releasing until the very last minute. It could have been redtails, or any other number of buteos. They all have a similar ritual. It has something to do with displaying, to each other, their ability to defend nest sites from intruders. The "missing" one probably returned to the nest site. And yes, it IS a violent display, but not unusual for raptors. Cool to watch though, huh?
Posts: 1168 | From: Typical White Person | Registered: Apr 2003
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JoeF
resides "back east"
Member # 228
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posted April 06, 2008 06:40 AM
That is what I thought at first but then I don't think that they were locked foot to foot - I believe the aggressor had the other by the lower body.
Maybe he missed? Stepped on his dick on his first date sort of thing.... Kinda like stepping on her foot during your first dance. Over anxious.
And where did the victim go? The aggressor was left soaring around by himself for quite some time. I'm on the highest point around so if the other bird was in the air I would have been able to see it.
Posts: 646 | From: Midwest | Registered: Aug 2003
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NASA
Knows what it's all about
Member # 177
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posted April 06, 2008 07:28 AM
Like I said above, probably went back to the nest site. They usually put on this performance in the immediate vicinity above the nesting area. Mated birds will continue this display, even after they have begun building a nest. It stops after they start incubating the eggs.
Keep your eyes to the sky this time of year. Crows and ravens put on aerial courtship displays, also. Although not quite so dramatic as the hawks, it's still pretty cool nevertheless.
[ April 06, 2008, 07:45 AM: Message edited by: NASA ]
Posts: 1168 | From: Typical White Person | Registered: Apr 2003
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albert
Knows what it's all about
Member # 98
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posted April 06, 2008 08:19 AM
I can follow Joe's line of thinking. Let's not forget this time of year territory is the most driving force out there.
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for what it's worth, eh!
Posts: 195 | From: Parkland, saskatchewan, canada | Registered: Feb 2003
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NASA
Knows what it's all about
Member # 177
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posted April 12, 2008 06:22 PM
As I was leaving Church last nite (honest!) I saw a small cottontail haulin' ass across the nearly empty parking lot. As I was wondering what his rush was, a dark shape emerges from the shadows about 3 feet off the deck. It closed on the rabbit in about 5-6 seconds. Caught him by the nads with one foot. The rabbit let out a 2 second squall and then was silenced by another foot around the throat. Just a horned owl out visiting the local fast food joint.
Posts: 1168 | From: Typical White Person | Registered: Apr 2003
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Cdog911
"There are some ideas so absurd only an intellectual could believe them."--George Orwell.
Member # 7
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posted April 12, 2008 06:53 PM
That would be so cool to see, Tom. I worked with upwards of 2-300 great horns in college and they are an awesome predator.
In my neighborhood, we're seeing more and more sharp-shinned hawks. I've seen several dogfight pursuits with a sharp-shin hot on the tail of a mourning dove or two. Them boys got some game. It always amazed me that we spend millions and millions of dollars to develop a fighter aircraft and pilot it by the very top most tier of humans yet a stupid bird like the sharp-shin or goshawk knows how to pull those moves at barely three months of age. Mother Nature has us by the nads, for sure.
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I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and, because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
Posts: 5438 | From: The gun-lovin', gun-friendly wild, wild west | Registered: Jan 2003
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newbomb
Knows what it's all about
Member # 888
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posted April 14, 2008 12:37 PM
Last year I popped a bird with my 22mag in a power line clearing, when it got to about 30 feet a hawk came out of nowhere and grabbed it and was gone. Last week on the interstate I saw a hawk flipping a pretty good size snake up in the air just outside of Indianapolis. I love watchin those things.
Posts: 66 | From: southern indiana | Registered: Jul 2006
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JoeF
resides "back east"
Member # 228
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posted April 14, 2008 07:15 PM
Care to guess what is for dinner?
Posts: 646 | From: Midwest | Registered: Aug 2003
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