Dusty Devil Dale Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 I just saw something pretty remarkable. It is hot (107 F) here this afternoon and with flood irrigation surrounding us, the humidity is quite high. I went out to check on my wife's llamas just a few minutes ago. I watched a female Red Shouldered Hawk swoop down in the field and grab a pocket gopher. She flew directly to the nearest water trough, where she braced herself across the corner with one wing, and thrust the rodent under water, holding it there for several minutes. Use of tools is generally considered to be a pretty advanced animal behavior attributed mainly to Primates. This seems pretty close to use of a tool by this intelligent bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bear Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 Wow...are they known to do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 8 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said: Wow...are they known to do this? I've never heard of it before. But these gorgeous hawks frequent riparian areas where surface water is available. So I would suppose they could instinctively take their prey there for whatever reason. It then seems like a small logic step to discover that the prey can be drowned. ----But that is still pretty advanced intellect and learning capability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 The frequent sighting of a Hawk with a snake in its talons is one I most enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 They along with Eagles, Crows and Magpies can learn to recognise cars my dad and I used to shoot an average of 10,000 gophers from one Ranch. We always drove the same vehicle they would follow us to the ranch sometimes from as far as 5 miles away ... Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 6 minutes ago, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said: They along with Eagles, Crows and Magpies can learn to recognise cars my dad and I used to shoot an average of 10,000 gophers from one Ranch. We always drove the same vehicle they would follow us to the ranch sometimes from as far as 5 miles away ... Jabez Cowboy ....... meals on wheels ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 I often have pairs of Red Shouldered Hawks fly very low along my pecan orchard rows, landing tree to tree above my tractor while I am mowing the understory grass and weeds. They grab mice, frogs, lizards and insects stirred up by the mower. They predictably show up immediately when I start up the tractor engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 1 hour ago, Rip Snorter said: The frequent sighting of a Hawk with a snake in its talons is one I most enjoy! I've seen Redtails carry a big, wriggling rattlesnake, circling to great height, then drop the snake to the ground and follow it down, grab the limp reptile and fly off to their waiting chicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozark Huckleberry Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 Harris's Hawks -- the only raptors that team up to take down game: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 I have watched hawks grab rabbits then take them high in the sky, drop them and swoop down to grab their now dead prey and fly off. A couple of times I have heard the rabbits scream. A recording of that played over a PA system would scare the living hell out of people. I used to feed the crows in my neighborhood peanuts in the shell. I mostly did it for selfish reasons. Crows keep pigeons away. I flippin’ hate pigeons. It also annoyed the heck out of a few of my butthead neighbors, second bonus. Anyway, some these crows would show up in my yard 2-3 minutes ahead of me getting home from work, according to my neighbor across the street who loved the daily crow spectacle. Others would “escort” me in, flying over and around me on my bike or in my car as I drove through the neighborhood. PS, don’t tell TN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Some video examples: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smuteye John SASS#24774 Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 On 6/27/2022 at 6:24 AM, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said: I have watched hawks grab rabbits then take them high in the sky, drop them and swoop down to grab their now dead prey and fly off. A couple of times I have heard the rabbits scream. A recording of that played over a PA system would scare the living hell out of people. I used to feed the crows in my neighborhood peanuts in the shell. I mostly did it for selfish reasons. Crows keep pigeons away. I flippin’ hate pigeons. It also annoyed the heck out of a few of my butthead neighbors, second bonus. Anyway, some these crows would show up in my yard 2-3 minutes ahead of me getting home from work, according to my neighbor across the street who loved the daily crow spectacle. Others would “escort” me in, flying over and around me on my bike or in my car as I drove through the neighborhood. PS, don’t tell TN. But he has been wondering where all of those peanut shells in the front yard came from for months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Harris Hawks are fun to watch as they work as a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennessee williams Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 Well now I ain't gonna say how smart a Hawk is, but I ain't never heard of one asking a question about people on the wire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 In Australia, Black Kites, Whistling Kites, and Brown Falcons, collectively known as Firehawks, have been observed to pick up burning branches from brush fires or even campfires, and drop them into dry grass to start fires to drive small game out where they can nab them. Magpies and crows have been videoed carrying a bottlecap or other small lid to the peak of a snow covered roof in the winter, sledding down to the eaves, picking up their sled, flying back to the top, and doing it again and again and again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 12 hours ago, Three Foot Johnson said: In Australia, Black Kites, Whistling Kites, and Brown Falcons, collectively known as Firehawks, have been observed to pick up burning branches from brush fires or even campfires, and drop them into dry grass to start fires to drive small game out where they can nab them. Magpies and crows have been videoed carrying a bottlecap or other small lid to the peak of a snow covered roof in the winter, sledding down to the eaves, picking up their sled, flying back to the top, and doing it again and again and again. Yup. The hardware store here sells magpie sleds, earmuffs, and skis. They won’t sell to crows. Nobody likes crows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 16 hours ago, Three Foot Johnson said: In Australia, Black Kites, Whistling Kites, and Brown Falcons, collectively known as Firehawks, have been observed to pick up burning branches from brush fires or even campfires, and drop them into dry grass to start fires to drive small game out where they can nab them. Magpies and crows have been videoed carrying a bottlecap or other small lid to the peak of a snow covered roof in the winter, sledding down to the eaves, picking up their sled, flying back to the top, and doing it again and again and again. ..... they do ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 30 minutes ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said: ..... they do ??? https://altoona.psu.edu/feature/birds-fire#:~:text=Only relatively recently have Westerners,to make food collection easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 ..... ok, but I don't have snow here ........ lotsa crows, .... but no snow ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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