Hey tweets,

We must have all seen it.....crows performing superlative flight acrobatics
while mobbing a perched red-tailed hawk. I watched the scenario unfold in
Lacey a couple of days ago with just a pair of crows. What strikes me
whenever I watch this is how close the crows get to the hawk (which is often
within inches, and at great speed) and yet the red-tailed seems totally
oblivious to the relentless aerial assaults. It doesn't flinch, turn it's
head or anything. I had to leave after watching for about 5 minutes. I'm
sure it eventually left while being continually mobbed until well out of the
crow's territory.

A couple of questions. Do crows ever make contact with perched or flying
red-taileds? It would seem like they could do some real damage to a sitting
target, especially at the speed and trajectory some of the mobbing attacks
occur at. I have seen red-tailed hawks turn and display their talons to
mobbing crows while in flight, which makes me wonder if they are more
vulnerable in flight? Are the crows really just a nuisance to the hawks, or
are the hawks a little more concerned than they appear to show, especially
when there can be many mobbing crows?

Thanks,

Rod,
Olympia

roderickgilbert at attbi.com