Wow! I've often heard that rattling noise and just assumed it was a part
of their repertoire. From now on I'm looking for hawks when I hear that
familiar noise. By the way, we had a Townsend's Warbler in our back yard
yesterday---what a treat!

wjansen
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On Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Dennis Paulson wrote:

> >This morning walking along the top of our hill I heard some crows making
> >their short rattling type calls. Three birds flew into sight, low,
> >looped and one (an accipitor type) flew into a tree. The other two,
> >indeed crows flew off. It didn't occur to me until after all this
> >happened, but the calls the crows were making were very short abrupt
> >rattling calls in series. About 4-5 to a series. This then called to
> >mind the entries from the other day. I guess it must have been in the
> >back of my mind because I surely alerted to it as soon as I heard it. Oh
> >yes, the accipitor was a Cooper's Hawk. It flew to another tree where I
> >could scope it for i.d.
> >
> >Brian H. Bell
>
> Crows in my neighborhood always make the rattling call when they're
> interacting with a hawk. I think it must be their predator-alarm call.
> It's been completely predictable that when I hear that call, there is a
> hawk around.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416
> web site: http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html
>
>
>