Well neither one of us had any luck

[dk1677]

Its been snowing some and there is a few inches  on the ground and I am thinking its good for spotting targets anyway , when I look out and see a red rat hopping over to within range, I grab the 850 and start to slowly open the window and hes off like a shot! I thought he saw  the window move then I see why he ran, A good sized red tail hawk lands in a apple tree looks around  and flies off. I wait just in case the red comes out of the bushes he ran too but a short  time later I saw him off in the distance headed off. As much as I would love to get rid of the red devils I would rather have seen the hawk get him.  

[airiscool]

I hear ya Dave.

But I'm not rooting for the Hawks here anymore !!!

It was fun to see the Hawk here, but it's wearing out it's welcome ! After seeing groups of Starlings here twce now, only to watch them fly off within minutes, then see the Coopers Hawk right after, is discouraging !!!  I'm wishing the Hawk would go somewhere else !!! :0

Paul.

[dk1677]

I can understand that Paul! Just saw the hawk off in the distance with 2 crows close behind, I never get a chance at them , when they do came around its way off in high trees. Are you suppose to get that snow they predict tonight and tomorrow? We are suppose to get 7 to 10 inches ( I guess winter is still here)

[airiscool]

The Red Tails only come into town a couple times a year, but  each time, I've seen crows harassing and chaising them out of town.  But I've never seen the Crows run-off the Coopers Hawks, which are slightly smaller than a Crow. I guess the Coopers are no threat to them ??

We just had a snow squal come through and dump about an inch that drove all the critters back into cover.  Now the Sun is out and the wind has realy picked up.

No hunting today !!!!

Paul

[Mebits]

I'm going to say that the coopers are too fast and thus it's a bad gambit to start a fight with them. No real risk of an unprovoked attack by a coopers, but if he turns on you, you can't get away.

[jake]

he'll be back and you'll get him lol.

[airiscool]

Mebits,

".........I'm going to say that the coopers are too fast and thus it's a bad gambit to start a fight with them. No real risk of an unprovoked attack by a coopers, but if he turns on you, you can't get away........."

I think being bigger, and often in groups, or at least breeding pairs, the crow is too much bird for the smaller Coopers Hawk. Plus, the Coopers has more than enough smaller birds to feed on without having to tangle with the bigger crow.

Even the much larger Redtails try to avoid the Crows.

But, the Red tails will only put up with just so much from them. Ever see how a Red tail will flip upside down and claw at the underside of a Crow as the Crow dives past trying to get a hit on the Redtail ? The Red tail can flip upside down backwards just long enough to get a hit in on the Crow and while they are doing that, they keep going forward without loosing any speed. It's amazing to watch a Crow/Red Tail dog fight.

Paul.

[Mebits]

So why do you think that the crows have little interest in the coopers? They always worry the redtails and redshouldereds, but I also have never seen the crows bugging the coops or sharpshinneds. I have both hawks and crows here in quantity, too.

[airiscool]

I think for the same reason Crows don't bother other birds that don't compeat for their food.  Coopers may not go after carrion/road kill like the Red Tails will.  So the Red Tails are food competitors to Crows, the Coopers may not be.

A Naturalist I worked with once told me that nature is for the most part, very conservative. It doesn't like to waste animals in needless battles.  He said that when there is no food, or territory competion, that usually equals tollerance.

Maybe the Crows tollerate the Coopers because they are not on the Coopers menu, and not competing for food ?

Paul.

[only1harry]

They are archenemies because the Red-tailed hawk does short work of an unsuspected crow that doesn't see the hawk coming.  The crow is smaller and doesn't stand a chance.  Redtails feed on larger birds like the crow as well as rabbits, and even groundhogs.  I have watched a redtail hawk kill a full-grown female rabbit (with her baby rabbit near by).  I was surprised when it grabbed it and flew away after it got nervous when too many people had gathered outside the building to watch it, but I was there first and saw the kill from the start - about 35yds away.  Redtails are massive.  The crows can't really hurt them.  They just harrass them to let them know they are PO'd.  It's a scare & intimidation tactic that the crows often use, but doesn't really work on the big Red-tails.

You may have seen these on youtube.  The 1st is a red-tailed hawk.  Not sure about the 2nd one, but it could be a Cooper's hawk.
The 3d one - the hawk is barely as big as the crow.  The crow is still alive.. Hawks don't have to be much bigger than a crow to take it down.  Once they land on them and sink their talons in them, it's over.  The crow isn't going anywhere.  Besides crows are very light despite their size.  Ever pick up a dead crow that looked pretty big when you shot it, and then you think, wow this crow only weighs about 1/2lb!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRELb-4G918

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Y0wQ_lFe0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlKyK6Pk7mQ&NR=1