I once watched a number of crows mobbing a juvenile bald eagle. In a surprise move, the eagle landed on the ground then took flight again, this time BEHIND the crows and clearly chasing them. They scattered and he was left in peace. In another bird drama, a kestral was making a dive for a flicker. The flicker dodged at the last minute, and other flickers began mobbing the kestral until he left.
We live in an eco estate outside Cape Town. We have a breeding pair of jackal buzzards, which are types of hawks. We also have white breasted crows that have moved in in the area. And we see exactly the same thing - the crows endlessly harassing the jackal buzzards in the air. Yet the jackal buzzards do nothing! We always watch them and shout at the jackal buzzards to give the crows a good hiding, but nothing 😄
The only crow in New Zealand these days is the European rook, which is a pest in some areas. We did once have giant ravens (among the largest corvids to have ever existed) but they became extinct within a few hundred years of human arrival in New Zealand. I wish we still had them.
Marvelous essay Heather. I have crows in my neighborhood that remember me feeding them and seem to appear magically whenever I go down the front steps. These amazing animals remember friends as well as enemies.
That's good to know! While researching, I watched altogether too many horrifying videos of crows picking apart baby hawks and eagles, birds chasing each other -- nature red in tooth and claw and all that. So the friendly side of long memories is good to hear!
i wish i had crows / we do have hawks / legend has it that she nests on top of the water tower near the art museum / my question is where does she find shelter on those cold windy winter nights ?? probly not on top of the water tower
Tonight, here in Georgia, the winds are bitter and whipping about quite strongly -- 35 mph gusts. I've wondered (it will be a future newsletter at some point) how bird nests stay in the trees so well. Of course, some do fall out, but why so few?
I once watched a number of crows mobbing a juvenile bald eagle. In a surprise move, the eagle landed on the ground then took flight again, this time BEHIND the crows and clearly chasing them. They scattered and he was left in peace. In another bird drama, a kestral was making a dive for a flicker. The flicker dodged at the last minute, and other flickers began mobbing the kestral until he left.
So much bird drama! That fake-out by the eagle is impressive!
I work at a wildlife sanctuary so have many opportunities to observe. There are some strong personalities in the bird world!
We live in an eco estate outside Cape Town. We have a breeding pair of jackal buzzards, which are types of hawks. We also have white breasted crows that have moved in in the area. And we see exactly the same thing - the crows endlessly harassing the jackal buzzards in the air. Yet the jackal buzzards do nothing! We always watch them and shout at the jackal buzzards to give the crows a good hiding, but nothing 😄
So cool! It's amazing when behaviors like this carry across continents... Thanks for sharing!
The only crow in New Zealand these days is the European rook, which is a pest in some areas. We did once have giant ravens (among the largest corvids to have ever existed) but they became extinct within a few hundred years of human arrival in New Zealand. I wish we still had them.
I just checked out their images online -- they were such a big bird, for a corvid. Extinction just stinks...
Marvelous essay Heather. I have crows in my neighborhood that remember me feeding them and seem to appear magically whenever I go down the front steps. These amazing animals remember friends as well as enemies.
That's good to know! While researching, I watched altogether too many horrifying videos of crows picking apart baby hawks and eagles, birds chasing each other -- nature red in tooth and claw and all that. So the friendly side of long memories is good to hear!
i wish i had crows / we do have hawks / legend has it that she nests on top of the water tower near the art museum / my question is where does she find shelter on those cold windy winter nights ?? probly not on top of the water tower
Tonight, here in Georgia, the winds are bitter and whipping about quite strongly -- 35 mph gusts. I've wondered (it will be a future newsletter at some point) how bird nests stay in the trees so well. Of course, some do fall out, but why so few?