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Why Do Hawks Shriek?

lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
I was in the woods today, and heard a red tailed hawk shrieking, and a bunch of crows that didn't appreciate the hawk's singing. I'd think a hawk would get more tasty crow snacks if he'd stfu, and keep his eyes open, rather than yelling "Look up here! It's a hawk looking for crow snacks! Up here guys! LOOK! LOOK!". I hear that fairly frequently.
 
Because the Patriots won the Superbowl.




I think that it is an attempt to scare prey into running so they can dive down and rip the prey to shreds.
 
In all seriousness though, crows are sneaky smart thieves and if was near the hawks territory he was probably telling them to go away 🙂

Even much smaller birds of different species will dive bomb crows if they get in their territory, I've watched 4 or 5 blue jays dive bomb a single crow trying to get near their nests from the back yard before.

Got me, maybe he was trying to get them in the air.
 
In my hood the crows are always chasing off hawks.

Murder of Crows (Unkindness of Ravens) > Cast of Hawks
 
IronWing said:
I think that it is an attempt to scare prey into running so they can dive down and rip the prey to shreds.
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That's plausible. I guess it works for them since there's plenty of hawks around. Fun fact; When a movie needs an eagle sound, they use the red tailed hawk cause they sound awesome, and eagles sound like shit.
 
I'm going to guess that hawk actively wasn't hunting at the time. Red tailed hawks generally hunt by concealing themselves on a perch and swooping down on prey. They do it from the sky as well, but there would be plenty of suitable perches in the woods.
 
A male screeches to announce his territory during the mating season. A hawk will screech loudly and repeatedly to defend his territory, generally from other hawks. The hawk screeches at other invaders, too.
 
Miramonti said:
A male screeches to announce his territory during the mating season. A hawk will screech loudly and repeatedly to defend his territory, generally from other hawks. The hawk screeches at other invaders, too.
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Yep just as animals do to, think Male Lion.
 
lxskllr said:
That's plausible. I guess it works for them since there's plenty of hawks around. Fun fact; When a movie needs an eagle sound, they use the red tailed hawk cause they sound awesome, and eagles sound like shit.
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Bald eagles sound beautiful. You take that back, right now!
 
lxskllr said:
Bald eagles are filthy scavengers, and a disgrace to the nation. The only thing they have going for them is their impressive size; like a turkey vulture.
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Hey don't be hatting on them Turkey Vultures! They are my RC Soaring buddies.
 
lxskllr said:
Bald eagles are filthy scavengers, and a disgrace to the nation. The only thing they have going for them is their impressive size; like a turkey vulture.
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YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!

Seriously. Bald eagles are beautiful birds. And, frankly, they are no more of a scavenger than any other bird of prey. I don't get why this is said - I know the habits of bald eagles, and yes they are scavengers, but they are also hunters. It all depends on the territory and how congested it is with other prey and predators.

Here by a river and great lake (Lake Erie), they are wonderful predators. There's also a dump nearby, or as they see it, a feast of vermin.
 
PixelSquish said:
Saw plenty of bald eagles in Alaska. They are regal birds.

Only bear we saw was road kill.
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When I see eagles, they're usually eating road killed deer. I actually saw one the day I made this thread. It was flying above the hawk. Probably waiting til the hawk caught something so it could steal its food...
 
lxskllr said:
When I see eagles, they're usually eating road killed deer. I actually saw one the day I made this thread. It was flying above the hawk. Probably waiting til the hawk caught something so it could steal its food...
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Would you not do the same in the wild? All that active hunting is stressful, let someone else do the work and use your bravado and might to steal it like the dominant beast you are. 😀

But yes, eagles will do this. They will also hunt on their own. It partly depends on the quantity and quality of prey in their nesting grounds. Around here, there is plenty. That's why waterways are their primary nesting/hunting grounds, because there tends to be more prey available; they can either swoop in and snag a fish, or chase after any of the numerous critters that tend to congregate near water. It's a breeding ground for bugs, which draws larger insects and smaller predators that love those insects, and small mammals who like all of the above. It's fertile land, ripe for Bald Eagles.

But they are intelligent, and opportunistic. There's a commonality with intelligence - opportunism. Crows are highly intelligent, but tend to be a scourge, because they take advantage of a situation.
 
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