edm@vrdxhq.verdix.com (Ed Matthews) (10/12/89)
Yesterday while driving home, a small hawk (crow sized, possibly juvenile) fluttered down out of a tree by the road into the middle of the road. It took two hops (like a crow) over to a fresh roadkill. I'm really nearsighted and thought it was a crow from its attitude until I got close. I'm happy to report that the hawk and I had a near miss. I'm guessing from the tail that it flashed me that it's a Red Shouldered or a Cooper's. I'm betting on the Red Shouldered. With all the traffic and trying to avoid the bird, I didn't get a good look at anything but the tail. Now two things that are a little strange to me: 1) hawk eating roadkill -- I've seen hundreds of hawks/owls sitting by the road, but never seen them after carrion, and have always seen them go after live prey; and, 2) approach to the carrion -- from seeing hawks come screaming out of the sky after small animals, I would have extrapolated that the approach to the carrion would be similar: swoop down and carry it off. Is this behavior unusual? -- Ed Matthews edm@verdix.com Verdix Corporation Headquarters (703) 378-7600 Chantilly, Virginia
mru@senilix.ida.liu.se (Mats Rundqvist) (10/13/89)
I should say it's not unusual at all that birds of prey eat carrion.
They approach the carrion exactly as you have described it: like a crow
or any other bird moving on the ground: look around and take a few
hops to the food.
Mats Rundqvist