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Owls vs. Hawks/Falcons (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter egret3
- Start date
hmm.. No one knows the answer here..
AKestrel3
Registered Birder
egret3 said:
I guess it would depend on how they are attacking. Falcons fly high and hit their prey with a lot of force. Hawks "fall" on their prey at whatever height they are at. And owls swoop in unheard on their prey. I would then think falcons are the stronger.
But if you are talking about ripping and eating you then look at the size of the birds feed, claws and beak. Owls swallow their prey often whole, falcons and hawks tear away feathers and such. I would have to saw hawks have the biggest feet and beaks and would think they are the strongest for tearing.
Observation is a very important factor for birding and learning what is used for what. Great questions by the way....
Happy birding Egret.
Morning Kestrel:
Tks for this. Yes, indeed, guess it would depend.
The owls do look somewhat heavy and squatty
(some of them) and not gliding, etc. as the others.
However, they are still beautiful birds. Just the build on them.
When you think that these birds do not chew their food,
no teeth, WOW. You would wonder that the food digests
properly. |=)|
Have only seen the falcon (up close) in captivity on the
hand of a trainer and they look so intelligent.
Then you go to the Goshawk. I am just
so taken by this hawk, have been reading about
it and how powerful it is. They also say that they
bond well with their owners but can take fits.
Well, must go. Thanks.
Happy birding to you.
a difficult task indeed
to choose a favorite bird
Where would we be without
all these birds to watch?
Tks for this. Yes, indeed, guess it would depend.
The owls do look somewhat heavy and squatty
(some of them) and not gliding, etc. as the others.
However, they are still beautiful birds. Just the build on them.
When you think that these birds do not chew their food,
no teeth, WOW. You would wonder that the food digests
properly. |=)|
Have only seen the falcon (up close) in captivity on the
hand of a trainer and they look so intelligent.
Then you go to the Goshawk. I am just
so taken by this hawk, have been reading about
it and how powerful it is. They also say that they
bond well with their owners but can take fits.
Well, must go. Thanks.
Happy birding to you.
a difficult task indeed
to choose a favorite bird
Where would we be without
all these birds to watch?
Last edited:
mikey_100
New member
scuba0095 said:
I agree-My eagle owl has the biggest feet and talons I've seen on raptors and I've seen a few
the talon can go through a double thickness leather glove like a needle and I would love to measure the grip pressure- you can sometimes feel your finger bones crunching if he gets agitated!
as for attacking power- he weighs just over a kilo and when he lands on prey I can only liken it to dropping a concrete block!-not the quickest or the brightest though- thats why they need the element of surprise- sometimes even the dead stuff gets away!!
Hawks and falcons don't defensively "drive off" Great Horned Owls during the day, they aggressively attack and try to kill them -- given the opportunity, which they rarely get, as Great Horned Owls are excellent daytime hiders for that very reason.
That is why hawk/falcon banders use plastic dummies of Great Horned Owls for catching many species of raptors, particularly during migration. The raptor thinks it sees a bird it hates, in the open and vulnerable during the day, and it will come from great distance to attack at full speed -- only the banders get them with a net first. When you look at banding statistics, accipiters and falcons are the most enthusiastic about attacking owls, while larger buteos like red-tailed hawks regularly give it a try, and it is rare for eagles to bother.
It is not a matter of one bird being "tougher" than the other, all five kinds I mentioned are superb killers, and it is not like they are duking it out in a boxing ring on equal terms. The bird that is making the surprise attack is the one with the huge advantage. That tends to be owls at night and raptors during the day, though there are some diurnal owls that can hold their own, such as Great Gray Owls and Northern Hawk Owls.
That is why hawk/falcon banders use plastic dummies of Great Horned Owls for catching many species of raptors, particularly during migration. The raptor thinks it sees a bird it hates, in the open and vulnerable during the day, and it will come from great distance to attack at full speed -- only the banders get them with a net first. When you look at banding statistics, accipiters and falcons are the most enthusiastic about attacking owls, while larger buteos like red-tailed hawks regularly give it a try, and it is rare for eagles to bother.
It is not a matter of one bird being "tougher" than the other, all five kinds I mentioned are superb killers, and it is not like they are duking it out in a boxing ring on equal terms. The bird that is making the surprise attack is the one with the huge advantage. That tends to be owls at night and raptors during the day, though there are some diurnal owls that can hold their own, such as Great Gray Owls and Northern Hawk Owls.
I thank all of you for
posting this very interesting
and informative info..
Just wanted to let you know
I was off line a while
and did come back to read this..
At the end of the day,
the Great Horned Howl is
mighty powerful.
Must be awesome to see one in the wild. Also, the baby
great horned owls. I wonder who goes after baby owls.
Guess they are pretty well protected by the parent birds.
posting this very interesting
and informative info..
Just wanted to let you know
I was off line a while
and did come back to read this..
At the end of the day,
the Great Horned Howl is
mighty powerful.
Must be awesome to see one in the wild. Also, the baby
great horned owls. I wonder who goes after baby owls.
Guess they are pretty well protected by the parent birds.
Last edited:
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
there was a documentary about eurasian eagle owls breeding in the north of england a while back.it showed the remains of the owls kills and they were feeding on buzzards amongst other things.bearing in mind our buzzards are equivilant in size to your redtailed hawks!you decide who is top dog.mike.egret3 said:
Jester
Member
i think different birds have evolved the best way to kill for their species and quarry.
falcons cant hunt like owls cant hunt like goshawk etc.etc. they all evolved to suit their quarry and surroundings.
eagle owls do have big feet and talons designed to grip (and grip hard)
here is a picture of a 3lb 12oz males set
falcons cant hunt like owls cant hunt like goshawk etc.etc. they all evolved to suit their quarry and surroundings.
eagle owls do have big feet and talons designed to grip (and grip hard)
here is a picture of a 3lb 12oz males set
Attachments
DTE
"eat tacos"
I´m Joining This Thread A Little Late I Guess.... Sorry.
Great Horned Owls Are Not That Slow Actually; I Read In Audobon's Encyclopedia Of North American Birds That Gho´s Have Been Clocked To Fly To Up To 40 Mph.
I´ve Also Had The Chance Of Seeing One Fly Through A Dense Forest And It Was Amazing The Way It Sorted It´s Way Past Branches And Stuff, So They Are Not Brutes Either.
That And The Fact That They Have A Very Short Temper Make Them Very Mean Fellows.
I´d Rather Not See Owls And Hawks Fight Though... I Think Man Has That Covered.
Thanks And Long Live Guacamole!
Great Horned Owls Are Not That Slow Actually; I Read In Audobon's Encyclopedia Of North American Birds That Gho´s Have Been Clocked To Fly To Up To 40 Mph.
I´ve Also Had The Chance Of Seeing One Fly Through A Dense Forest And It Was Amazing The Way It Sorted It´s Way Past Branches And Stuff, So They Are Not Brutes Either.
That And The Fact That They Have A Very Short Temper Make Them Very Mean Fellows.
I´d Rather Not See Owls And Hawks Fight Though... I Think Man Has That Covered.
Thanks And Long Live Guacamole!
Evanji Axu
Spiteful Cynic
It's like comparing apples to oranges to bananas.
Except that birds are a lot more interesting than fruit.
Except that birds are a lot more interesting than fruit.
Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
Having seen a golden eagle catch a sharp-shin in mid-flight, rip the head off, and throw it away without even missing a wing beat, I'd have to put in a vote for goldens.
JH
JH
Robin Pearson
Herts irregular
Jeff hopkins said:
I went to a falconry display once and they were flying a small african owl (not sure which breed) and something caused it to panic and grip its handlers hand. She was in absolute agony and it took another two handlers to prise the talons apart. She said if it was really trying her hand would have been crushed. Must be like having your hand in a vice and someone slowly tightening it. Ouch!
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