Didn't know about Red-tails but we had an opportunity to watch Bat Hawks
feed in Uganda. Amazing, they would semi-stoop on the bat, pass behind it,
roll over and grab it from beneath with its talons. It would then roll
upright and swallow the bat while inflight. Then on to the next bat. The
bats were coming out of thatched hut roofs, and nooks and crannies in
buildings in a small village. We only saw Bat Hawks a couple of other
times -- peched solidly in trees during the daylight hours.

Bob
Federal Way, WA
taylorrt at foxinternet.net


----------
> From: Jim Rosso <jlrosso at classic.msn.com>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Red-tailed Hawks and Bats
> Date: Friday, January 30, 1998 1:33 AM
>
> Saw the last part of a program on the Discovery channel last night. It
was on
> bats and the last five minutes had this incredible footage of a pair of
> Red-tailed Hawks waiting outside a cave entrance for the daily evening
flight
> of the bats as they head out to feed for the night. With thousands of
bats
> densely packed it was good pickings for the hawks. They were swooping
through
> the groups of bats and grabbing them. At times they would fold their
wings and
> dive through the group and snatch a bat. I wouldn't have believed it if I

> hadn't seen the footage.
>
> I would imagine that this is an isolated case of a couple of smart
Red-tails
> who were seizing on an opportunity. I never thought of Red-tailed Hawks
being
> that opportunistic. Since the program was about bats they didn't talk
much
> about the hawks. I would love to know if the hawks were regular visitors
at
> this cave and if so if the bats made up a good percentage of their diet.
>
> The program did end with a good note about the importance of bats in the
> general scheme. Promoting bat conservation and appreciation is definitely
an
> uphill battle.
>
>
> Jim Rosso
> Issaquah,