I was interested in the observation of a crow standing on a Cooper's Hawk.
The standard "mobbing" of raptors by crows is obviously usually no more
than that, but perhaps more often than we realize does involve physical
damage to at least the smaller raptors. Many years ago, in England, I
watched a hunting European Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter nisus) cross a hedgerow
abruptly to surprise a flock of finches, and startle a couple of crows who
happened to be there. The closest crow responded with a peck that killed
the hawk almost outright (puncture wound under a wing, straight into the
heart) - it was dead by the time I reached it moments later. Skin is in
the Birmingham University Natural History Collection. A. nisus is smaller
than a Sharpshin, but I was still impressed, and have treated crows with
added respect ever since.

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JAMES WEST Slavic Dept. Univ. of Washington DP-32 Seattle, WA 98195
Tel: 206-543-4829 Fax: 206-543-9285 E-mail: jdwest at u.washington.edu