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Posted by Jeff Weber on 09:06:12 08/19/11
Returning from an early morning exercise walk yesterday morning, I saw a male Cooper's Hawk standing quietly on the grass to the side of my house. The hawk was patiently watching another, smaller bird flop around violently on the ground about two feet in front of it. It kept this up for about two minutes, calmly moving forward occasionally to maintain its distance to the prey (a Starling, as it turned out). Only when the struggling stopped did the Cooper's hop forward and take off with the Starling in its talons. This seems to be an example of a technique that many predatory animals employ: 1) deliver the incapacitating blow; 2) wait for the action to die down; 3) carry the prey away when its struggles no longer pose any threat. An interesting example of how many predators strive to take care of themselves, even while dispatching smaller animals - a method observable in creatures as diverse as rattlesnakes and sailfish. I wish I'd seen the initial strike.
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