video credit: Steven Cloud
This amazing video of a hawk consuming a snack was shot by Steven Cloud, who forwarded it to me. He writes:
"I'm a long time reader and thought you might like to see/share this video of what I believe to be a hawk eating another bird. I shot the video from the back of my apartment on 3rd Street near Smith on Wednesday morning around 8am."
How cool. I am always amazed that such big birds of prey are thriving right here in our neighborhood.
There have been several sightings in the last few years, including this one in Carroll Park. They were all confirmed to be red-tailed hawks. The one filmed by Steven looks very similar. Can someone confirm?
Thanks so much for sharing, Steven.
*Update* According to Rob Jett of City Bird, this is Cooper's Hawk, which is overwintering in New York.
I saw what appears to be the very same hawk do the very same thing last week in my back yard. I live on Clinton and 4th place. I watched the hawk eat an entire bird perched on top of a pole exactly like the one in this video!! I didn't film because I was too busy looking through my binoculars. I've spotted this hawk in our back yard several time within the past year. So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNot a Red-tailed Hawk, but a Cooper's Hawk. They aren't residents, but rather a hawk that overwinters in NYC. See my blog posting here - http://citybirder.blogspot.com/2012/11/fridays-foto_30.html
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was this hawk that dropped a pigeon carcass on the hood of my car last month.
ReplyDeleteThe legs and wings were intact. Quite grizzly.
A year or so ago I watched a hawk tearing up a songbird in a tree in my back yard in Prospect Heights.
ReplyDeleteWow. Fantastic video.
ReplyDeleteI saw it (or one!) too, a couple of weeks ago, in the trees surrounding the schoolyard on Baltic above Smith! I actually looked it up and thought it might be a Cooper's; glad to have it confirmed.
ReplyDeleteAwesome video! I've seen a similar hawk perched on the laundry tower in my backyard on Court and Union. And I can see someone regularly perched on top of St. Agnes on Hoyt & Sackett. Too far away for me to ID though.
ReplyDeleteI've seen it (or a relative) as well. I'm all the way over on Prospect Avenue, in between 4th and 5th aves. It was hanging out in my yard in December of 2010.
ReplyDeleteThis Cooper's Hawk is very active in the areas of 1st-2nd-carroll streets. I see the pigeons fly in flocks to confuse it every single morning. But I'm certain that every day he (or she) manages to pick one off. The bird is beautiful, but it's still kind of sad to see those pigeons flying for their lives every day.
ReplyDelete