tags: birds, Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, ornithology, Image of the Day
Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, in Central Park,
being taunted by an Eastern grey squirrel.
Image: Bob Levy, author of Club George. [larger size].
Bob Levy writes;
I have two comments and images to add to my story of March 10, 2008 entitled "A Bulging Photo Opportunity" about a female juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. The first concerns a sassy if imprudent Gray Squirrel. Over a period of several minutes the furry creature deliberately came with a couple of yards of the hawk. I cannot know its motivation but to this observer it seemed that the squirrel was daring the hawk to attack. The predator paid notice to the scampering animal but did not take the bait, so to speak. The little drama played out uneventfully for hunter and potential huntee.
The other significant event that occurred was a rare demonstration of Hawk Yoga. Obviously raptors must keep fit to maintain their strenuous lifestyle but isn't it possible that sometimes they might feel the need to relieve stress just as we do? Perhaps that is why this particular hawk indulged in a series of moves that I interpreted as the familiar Yoga pose known as the Cat Stretch. After being taunted by the squirrel the young Red-tailed Hawk must have needed to unwind. Human practitioners of the art will no doubt agree.
I did not notice it myself but a friend pointed out that the hawk's talons are covered in blood. I am absolutely certain that this had nothing to do with the performance of this Yoga pose but it instead had everything to do with the meal that made the raptor's crop bulge. Until next time: don't forget to breathe and don't strain.
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Squirrel was damned lucky she was a young hawk who had recently eaten (the squirrel's mate?). Our older ones would have made short work of said rodential.
If that squirrel's anything like the ones around here, it might have been looking to mug the hawk.
I've seen squirrels in the same trees as hawks in NYC. They weren't mobbing the hawk the way that small birds do. The squirrels don't seem to be disturbed by the presence of the hawk.
Squirrels in NYC parks are extremely tame. They have no fear of people and many will take food from peoples hand. I think the natural wariness has been selected out from the city squirrels, and when the hawks started moving into NYC about ten years ago the squirrels were clueless.