I saw some unusual hawk behavior at our main martin site in Forest Park, St. Louis, one morning recently -- and as I often feel I'm the only person in this metro area who cares -- ha ha -- I'll share it here.
This martin house is in a "meadow" and a pair of red tailed hawks have a nest about 200 yards away in a tall pine tree. The nest has at least one white chick, whose head I see with my binoculars.
The red tails fly back and forth over the martin house and cause minor commotion. I've been told red tails will keep out Cooper's hawks.
But..I saw a Cooper's hawk in hot pursuit of one of the red tails, which was flying fairly high heading toward the tree area where it has a nest. The Cooper's was flying right above, dive bombing and hitting the red tailed. When they flew into the tree grove, I lost sight of them. I noticed that the martins all suddenly left the house and climbed high in the sky, as Steve Kroenke has described. They never do this when the red tail flies over, although a few will sometimes chase after it.
I can only surmise that the red tail had invaded the Cooper's territory and was being chased back home. But it's disturbing that we've probably got Cooper's hawks living the in the park, and that the red tailed even allowed itself to be chased.
John Miller
Odd hawk behavior
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Glen Webb Jr
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:03 pm
- Location: Illinois/Stewardson
That's so cool. Little baby red-tails!This martin house is in a "meadow" and a pair of red tailed hawks have a nest about 200 yards away in a tall pine tree. The nest has at least one white chick, whose head I see with my binoculars.
I also see this quite often. Martins at my site will usually wait, and if a few birds get spooked from the close proximity of the red-tailed hawk, then usually more will panic as well. But they do not climb high in the sky and will usually swoop back down toward the housing and watch and wait. They also do this with kestrels and especially the harriers, gentlest of the hawks. If the Cooper's Hawk is in the area, the martins always scream and carry on and aim for an area high above the Cooper's.I noticed that the martins all suddenly left the house and climbed high in the sky, as Steve Kroenke has described. They never do this when the red tail flies over, although a few will sometimes chase after it.
It is very obvious that my property and the area around it is part of the Cooper's territory. Spring-Winter I see that thing almost everyday it seems. In the spring and summer it makes far too many frequent visits to my area IMO, so I'm assuming it's nest is not much more than a 3/4 mile away. Not sure what a Cooper's territory is, but I have seen the female as much as 6 times in a day previous seasons.
Red-tails definitely live close by and usually don't make as frequent hunting trips near my property as the Coopers does. But when the red-tail is perched in the area, the Cooper's usually high-tails it away. Even the resident kestrels do not like the presence of the Cooper's hawk. It's a strange sight to see martins, the kingbirds, and one or both kestrels dive-bombing the Cooper's. Love having kestrels nearby really. Never have seen them bother a bird at all and they are great watchdogs. I missed them for the last 2 years but now that we have a pair again, they are usually the first to see and attack the Cooper's hawk.
Sounds like your Cooper's hawk is nesting nearby. I also wonder if it's possible (though unlikely I suppose) for Cooper's hawks to mob red-tails that are carrying food items back to the nest? Kind of like stealing from the bigger cousins? I suppose when red-tails are busy and stressed with finding food for them and their young, the annoyance of the mobbing Cooper's hawk is probably accepted.
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Bob Rogers
- Posts: 226
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:48 pm
- Location: Arnold, Missouri
John,
My experience with hawk attacks is thus: If the hawk has failed in his attempt to surprise the PM's in a successful attack, he will then try to wait out the PMs in the nearby heavy underbrush or trees. The PMs have already been alerted and will be flying high over the colony --- very quietly and with much soaring. They know the hawk is near somewhere below, but if the hawk remains perched motionless, he remains well camouflaged and hidden. At the hawks 1st movement for some hapless bird in the underbrush or tree forks, the PM's will spot him a quite a ruckus will occur. Dive bombing and much PM warning vocalizations will be common. Then the colony will again start making ever expanding circles and quit as a mouse --- they have again lost sight of the hawk. This cat-and-mouse game will go on each time the hawk makes a short flight to pick off some bird he sees trying to hide or fledgling scrambling for her live. When the hawk is successful or gives up for more productive territory, the entire colony (along with any nearby colony PM's) will actively fly and peck at the hawk as he is now completely exposed in his exit. The PM's will return to the colony after about 20-30 minutes, but, will only make mock house landings for some time, squawking each pass ----they still fear the hawk. After about 45 minutes to about 1 hour, PM's will start to land and instantly enter there cavities----often on the fly! They will continue these landings and again quick exits for up to several hours. When they do settle down, life will be rather normal again until the next attack! If attacks happen often, PM's will circle the colony numerous times until almost dark. before making their final dart into their cavity for the night. Next morning's exit will be right at daylight --- fast, quiet, and flying high --- away from nearby trees and possible lurking hawks. Too many repeat hawk attacks, will cause even baby feeding parents to abandon the nest!
My experience with hawk attacks is thus: If the hawk has failed in his attempt to surprise the PM's in a successful attack, he will then try to wait out the PMs in the nearby heavy underbrush or trees. The PMs have already been alerted and will be flying high over the colony --- very quietly and with much soaring. They know the hawk is near somewhere below, but if the hawk remains perched motionless, he remains well camouflaged and hidden. At the hawks 1st movement for some hapless bird in the underbrush or tree forks, the PM's will spot him a quite a ruckus will occur. Dive bombing and much PM warning vocalizations will be common. Then the colony will again start making ever expanding circles and quit as a mouse --- they have again lost sight of the hawk. This cat-and-mouse game will go on each time the hawk makes a short flight to pick off some bird he sees trying to hide or fledgling scrambling for her live. When the hawk is successful or gives up for more productive territory, the entire colony (along with any nearby colony PM's) will actively fly and peck at the hawk as he is now completely exposed in his exit. The PM's will return to the colony after about 20-30 minutes, but, will only make mock house landings for some time, squawking each pass ----they still fear the hawk. After about 45 minutes to about 1 hour, PM's will start to land and instantly enter there cavities----often on the fly! They will continue these landings and again quick exits for up to several hours. When they do settle down, life will be rather normal again until the next attack! If attacks happen often, PM's will circle the colony numerous times until almost dark. before making their final dart into their cavity for the night. Next morning's exit will be right at daylight --- fast, quiet, and flying high --- away from nearby trees and possible lurking hawks. Too many repeat hawk attacks, will cause even baby feeding parents to abandon the nest!
Bob R.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Bob, Glen
Well, I'll be watching again for this Cooper's Hawk. It made my heart sink a bit to see one flying over the site, which is at full martin occupancy, but it's pretty open. We have two other new "hopeful" martin sites in the park. One house on a little island has attracted an ASY pair and the third site, at a golf course, has an ASY male hanging out. I can't wait for subbies to arrive any day now. Every time I walk around these sites I see an amazing array of bird species for the middle of the big old city. This evening I heard what I thought was "catbird" in a tall tree, but he was way up at the top, which would be unusual. With my binoculars I IDd him as a brown thrasher. If anyone wants a mini bird walk - ha -- join me sometime in Forest Park.
John Miller
Well, I'll be watching again for this Cooper's Hawk. It made my heart sink a bit to see one flying over the site, which is at full martin occupancy, but it's pretty open. We have two other new "hopeful" martin sites in the park. One house on a little island has attracted an ASY pair and the third site, at a golf course, has an ASY male hanging out. I can't wait for subbies to arrive any day now. Every time I walk around these sites I see an amazing array of bird species for the middle of the big old city. This evening I heard what I thought was "catbird" in a tall tree, but he was way up at the top, which would be unusual. With my binoculars I IDd him as a brown thrasher. If anyone wants a mini bird walk - ha -- join me sometime in Forest Park.
John Miller