Subject: Re: Hawk food
Date: May 30 16:30:19 1997
From: Hal Opperman - halop at accessone.com


Palmer, Handbook of North American Birds, vol. 4 (1988) gives a good
summary of the food preferences of this species. Apparently it is
opportunistic and nearly omnivorous. One publication detailing the
contents of 601 crops found poultry in 20 of them, game birds in 51,
waterfowl and shorebirds in 14, miscellaneaous birds in 265, lagomorphs in
62, voles (Microtus) in 173, house and "other" mice in 38, miscellaneous
mammals in 60, snakes in 13, frogs in 15, fish and crayfish in 1 each, and
insects in 39. Various studies (continues Palmer) reveal that small
rodents predominate from late fall through spring; that there is great
variety in prey through spring, including young mammals, nesting and flying
young plus adult birds; and that in summer, harriers exploit "any
acceptable food in good supply," including voles, young and adult birds,
young rabbits and ground squirrels, and grasshoppers. At least 80 species
of birds have been documented in the diet of the North American subspecies,
mostly in the size range from small sparrows to Mourning Doves, with
meadowlarks and flickers being relatively frequent prey items. The
literature appears to be quite extensive on this subject, and includes a
couple of papers on harriers attacking crippled and healthy ducks.

>I've observed Northern Harriers hunting for rodents in fields and
>pulling one out of the long grass but I have also observed them eating
>small ducks. Several times I have checked out remains of prey after
>flushing one from around the Everett Sewage Ponds and they have had
>Green Winged Teal or some other duck I could not identify.
>
>Yvonne Bombardier
>Everett, Wa
>
>> At 02:12 PM 5/27/97 -0700, you wrote:
>> >On Tue, 27 May 1997, Sue Ericksen wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >> Marsh Hawk/Harrier 41% small birds, 33% rodents, 3% insects
>> >
>> >Amazing. I would have thought harriers were way too slow to snag a bird.
>> >
>> >Kelly Cassidy -- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
>> >Box 357980, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
>> >kelly at u.washington.edu --- 206-685-4195 --- 206-368-8076
>> >
>>
>> I agree. They cruise the pasture next door looking for rodents. I've not
>> observed them chasing birds.
>>
>> Sue


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Hal Opperman - P. O. Box 286 - Medina, Washington 98039 - USA
halop at accessone.com - phone (425) 635-0503 - fax (425) 635-0271
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