Birds Be Fightin'
updated: Nov 16, 2012, 3:17 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

These are the feathers from one lucky pigeon. Although all of my bird feeders are pigeon- proof, occasionally a "rock dove" (true name) will bring a pal and hang out, to glean seed on ground. At 1pm today, I was standing on my front walk, with two pigeons and a lone crow watching me rip out my mildewed zinnias. The birds were sitting atop my front porch, a mere 8' above my head.

Suddenly one pigeon screeched, the crow let out a fearsome sound of fury, and I looked up to see a Sharp- shinned hawk fleeing for its life, the crow right in its tail. Pigeon feathers rained down. No pigeon on the ground, no droplets of blood.

I reached inside my front door for binoculars, as I could see the hawk far up in my 80' tall (city tree) Eucalyptus robusta. The crow had gone off and come back with a few pals, but as soon as I had turned my back, the hawk had left the scene. One lucky pigeon, to be sitting next a feisty crow! (The yellow bit is a palm flower, not a bird part.)

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Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 343903	2012-11-16 03:40 PM
What great story. I must say, your photo reminds me of the Playboy logo. It must be Happy Hour.
COMMENT 343912	2012-11-16 03:56 PM
Cool story. I have been lucky enough to see a few cooper hawks pounce on pigeons and doves at my work. Nature is awsome.
COMMENT 343913	2012-11-16 03:56 PM
My opinion of crows has changed recently. I appreciate their pluck and smarts. I think they have an irritating sound, and consequently people dislike them. I can't post links here, but if you google "crow adopts family", there is a very cute story that illustrates how smart these guys are.
QUAD-LIX	2012-11-16 04:12 PM
So the hawk got one of the pigeons but not the other one?
COMMENT 343959P	2012-11-16 05:40 PM
Great story!
COMMENT 343983	2012-11-16 06:51 PM
A Cooper's hawk tried to get my BABY CAKES a few years back. My little BABY CAKES is wonderful and would not hurt a flea and is sweet as peaches!!! BABY CAKES pecked that Coops right in the beak and he never returned.
COMMENT 343996P	2012-11-16 07:27 PM
QUADLIX: OP, Here. I should have made it more clear, I guess. The pigeons both got away, thanks to the crow.
COMMENT 344044	2012-11-17 06:45 AM
Too bad for the hawk, he needs to eat also. I'd rather have the hawks than the "rats with wings".
FLICKA	2012-11-17 09:13 AM
Thanks for your story! I had a Coopers Hawk land in a rosemary bush in the chicken coop, likely saw a little bird in there. One of the hens fluffed out her feathers and charged him, she won, he left. I once saw a whole murder of crows chase and attack a hawk w/a pigeon, the pigeon was dropped. Such fun to watch nature in action.
COMMENT 344123	2012-11-17 09:36 AM
Poor hungry hawk.
COMMENT 344176P	2012-11-17 11:46 AM
This hawk gets plenty of food. You should see my sparrows as he/she chases them down, flying like a couple of Spitfires.
COMMENT 344400P	2012-11-17 11:37 PM
We saw a Cooper's hawk devour an Acorn Woodpecker on top of the phone pole in our backyard a few weeks ago. Quite dramatic. We got some good feathers. Eventually a crow spooked him and he flew off with the carcass.
COMMENT 344413P	2012-11-18 01:48 AM
Oh, oh, oh. The Acorn woodpeckers. I saw a Red-shouldered hawk take one of "my" woodpeckers from atop a utility pole. Never want to see something like that again, in my life. The woodpeckers didn't sit atop that pole again for at least another year. Did you know the Acorn woodpeckers are very family oriented? The adolescents stick around, as aunts and uncles, to help care for the next generation. Great birds.

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