Selasa, 25 November 2008
Birds I Am NOT Seeing
Of all the species of birds I am not seeing today on my snow-covered farm in southeastern Ohio, perhaps none has a more interesting hunting strategy than the Harris' hawk.
Did you know that Harris' hawks hunt cooperatively in packs composed of family members? It's true. The hunting groups may number as many as a half-dozen birds and they fly in one or two groups until potential prey is flushed, then all pursue it. When prey is captured and killed, it is shared. This type of cooperation is very rare in birds of prey.
Today I am thinking about the Harris' hawk—yet another bird I am not seeing right this very moment. I have seen them recently, however. This distant one (above) I photographed at Estero Llano Grande State Park near Weslaco, Texas.