whats the largest prey a red tailed hawk has ever taken? (1 Viewer)

[maersk]

i saw a video a long time ago of a red tail killing a full grown opossum, id think that would be at the upper limit of what a buteo could take.

 

[jm32206]

I've seen one take a full sized cat...but that's about as big as I've seen...

 

[Tat2dGuy]

I have seen a baby ground hog and a small racoon get taken out by a red tail..

I've also watched this past summer, a immature red tail trying to take out a hummerbird from my feeder on more then one occassion.. He never was successful, but boy was it fun to watch him try.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I've seen hummers attack red-tails, but never the other way around.

We have an artificial owl on a pole at our hawkwatch. I've seen red-tails attack it, but I doubt it was as prey. I've also seen a red-tail attack a golden eagle, but again, clearly not as prey.

 

[talon_dfa]

I have seen Red-tail actually hit and bind to Great-Horned Owl (Bubo) near the Red-tail nest. Not prey, but a big "foot-full".

I have also seen Red-tail take Black-tailed Jack rabbit.

 

[keith richter]

They can take almost everything except bigger animals.:t:

 

[scuba0095]

almost all those animals above are bigger than red tails...


anyways i have seen a red tail hawk attack an adult house cat but the house cat turned the tables and the hawk ended up dead in the struggle

 

[Nightranger]

There are not many birds of prey that can take animals larger than their own weight, hence the cat turning the tables as described in this thread. However, the golden eagle is a remarkable example of a species that bucks this trend because it will deliberately scare red deer on a steep slope in order that the deer may injure itself and can be later scavenged. European sparrowhawks also get close to equivalent weight because the females sometimes take woodpigeons and the kill is mostly, eaten in situ and only removed after subsequent sittings (often with the help of a male in the breeding season) when the weight has been reduced enough to be carried. Therefore, a red-tailed hawk could take prey to the size of a full-grown rabbit or a cat but the success would heavily be determined by the resolve of the intended prey.

 

[scuba0095]

the struggle was a big female red tail hawk as well it just made an extremly foolish mistake by attacking someones cat the cat counter attacked right away clawing and got a few good bites in there also the hawk let go the cat scampered off and seemed fine just a lot of fur and feathers flying

the hawk was taken to a wildlife rehabilitator and died of infection from its wounds the cat ended up unharmed

This sort of thing has to be very rare if the hawk doesnt kill it on impact it will probably get killed because how can a 3 pound hawk bind to a 10 pound housecat without seriously suffering? God knows what that hawk was thinking!

 

[michaelboustead]

I have seen them flying with a real big snake- longer than wingspan.

Mike

 

[Gingling]

Around here I have seen them take cotton tail rabbits , cats and small marmots. I have also seen them mortally injure cats without even landing to do it , simply make the dive , the strike and keep going tearing open the cats hid and inflicting deep muscle tissue injuries.

Then again , red tails do like their carrion so it makes some sense that they are willing to strike and then wait in their territories for the results that brings them a meal.

I find it interesting that golden eagles were used to hunt wolf in Siberia to. Maybe they still do , I am not sure as I have not checked on it.

One can only imagine that sight without actually going to watch it in action.

Gingling

 

[Himalaya]

have nt peregrine sbeen known to take geese, ravens, greater black backed gulls, and even grey herons?

sparrowhawks have also been knownto take magpies wich maybe larger?

There are not many birds of prey that can take animals larger than their own weight, hence the cat turning the tables as described in this thread. However, the golden eagle is a remarkable example of a species that bucks this trend because it will deliberately scare red deer on a steep slope in order that the deer may injure itself and can be later scavenged. European sparrowhawks also get close to equivalent weight because the females sometimes take woodpigeons and the kill is mostly, eaten in situ and only removed after subsequent sittings (often with the help of a male in the breeding season) when the weight has been reduced enough to be carried. Therefore, a red-tailed hawk could take prey to the size of a full-grown rabbit or a cat but the success would heavily be determined by the resolve of the intended prey.

 

[saluki]

have nt peregrine sbeen known to take geese, ravens, greater black backed gulls, and even grey herons?

sparrowhawks have also been knownto take magpies wich maybe larger?

Many raptors are capable of taking prey larger than themselves - peregrines take mallard drakes and falconers birds take cock pheasant with comparative ease (probably not many killed by wild peregrines though), biggest bird I've personally known killed by a peregrine was an adult blackcock. Female gosses can take brown hares, males can take rabbits. Spars take woodies, and I think I've read on BF of spars taking red grouse and pheasant - I've seen one take a blackwit, though it had to let go as it was over water.

In my experience it's maybe individual birds that have learnt - probably through luck - as eyasses how to tackle larger prey. Eyasses can be daft at times (and possibly very hungry) and try for prey which adults might baulk at. For instance, a juv goss might try to catch a brown hare, bind to it's back end and get kicked off - never to try again. Another might bind to the head and back and manage to subdue the hare. Next time it does the same thing and succeeds again. In daft falconry talk, the gos is now 'wedded' to that prey.

Some falconers birds take it to extremes! I knew a male peregrine that would fly through far easier prey to kill hooded crows! Last year I saw a video of a jerkin (male gyr) that would do the same to tackle Canada geese! It eventually got killed by a golden eagle I think?

Jonathan

 

[saluki]

I find it interesting that golden eagles were used to hunt wolf in Siberia to. Maybe they still do , I am not sure as I have not checked on it.

One can only imagine that sight without actually going to watch it in action.

Gingling

There was a guy came on BF a while back saying that the berkuts had to be half-starved to fly wolves, he seemed to know what he was talking about so maybe he was right. The only problem I have with this is that, although the hunters generally ride up and kill the wolf themselves, the eagle has to hold the wolf for, sometimes, several minutes. One would imagine that would take a bird in tip-top condition. I've seen many raptors in low condition fly - generally they seem lethargic and get exhausted quickly.

Jonathan

 

[Gingling]

I've seen many raptors in low condition fly - generally they seem lethargic and get exhausted quickly.

Jonathan

Yes , it is not to difficult to spot a starved ,old or tired raptor as a rule. Wolves are large animals , for a eagle to be able to pen one for even a minute is amazing to me.

Such power in such a small package.

Gingling

 

[scuba0095]

I have seen Red-tail actually hit and bind to Great-Horned Owl (Bubo) near the Red-tail nest. Not prey, but a big "foot-full".

I have also seen Red-tail take Black-tailed Jack rabbit.

can u tell us the outcome of it? did the hawk really kill an adult great horned owl?

 

[Fast_falkon]

Many raptors are capable of taking prey larger than themselves - peregrines take mallard drakes and falconers birds take cock pheasant with comparative ease (probably not many killed by wild peregrines though), biggest bird I've personally known killed by a peregrine was an adult blackcock. Female gosses can take brown hares, males can take rabbits. Spars take woodies, and I think I've read on BF of spars taking red grouse and pheasant - I've seen one take a blackwit, though it had to let go as it was over water.

In my experience it's maybe individual birds that have learnt - probably through luck - as eyasses how to tackle larger prey. Eyasses can be daft at times (and possibly very hungry) and try for prey which adults might baulk at. For instance, a juv goss might try to catch a brown hare, bind to it's back end and get kicked off - never to try again. Another might bind to the head and back and manage to subdue the hare. Next time it does the same thing and succeeds again. In daft falconry talk, the gos is now 'wedded' to that prey.

Some falconers birds take it to extremes! I knew a male peregrine that would fly through far easier prey to kill hooded crows! Last year I saw a video of a jerkin (male gyr) that would do the same to tackle Canada geese! It eventually got killed by a golden eagle I think?

Jonathan

i've heard someone talking about an osprey taking a huge fish, he couldnt lift it, but he also couldn't get his nails out of it, so he drowned while holding it.

 

[talon_dfa]

i've heard someone talking about an osprey taking a huge fish, he couldnt lift it, but he also couldn't get his nails out of it, so he drowned while holding it.

I have heard this one many times myself, but have never seen the original reference.

I think this may be an "urban" legend.

 

[maersk]

ive heard of great horned owls in the porcupine mountains of mcihigans upper peninsula regularly taking raccoons of 12-20 lbs or more, of course they never got these animals into the air, apparently they sat on the ground and ate most of the kill before lfying away.

 

[maersk]

there is also some evidence that the same owls take adult turkeys, red fox and young bobcats.