Imm. Coop plays with prey (1 Viewer)

I cleaned my feeders a few weeks ago because of a house finch with conunctivitis. Today I felt sad for the sickly house finch in my (New Jersey)back yard with very swollen eyes. I didn't want the others to catch the disease. She helicoptered extensively around the feeder before landing. Then she perched alone on my railing, rather exposed. As I watched her through my binoculars, I found myself saying two words out loud. -- "Hawk bait."

At sunset tonight I saw a flurry of large brown wings in my mulberry tree, flapping wildly amongst the leaves. Then I saw the raptor, an immature cooper's, descend to the ground and hop around. A bird (quite possibly the sick one) was weakly trying to escape, but the coop pounced on it again and again. Soon the Coop flew away, hopefully with the prey in its talons.

Is this typical - playing with prey? Do only juveniles do it?

I don’t know if only young birds behave in the way you describe but I witnessed something similar, also involving a juvenile Cooper’s hawk, in my back yard a couple of years ago. I wonder if such behavior isn’t as much as matter of youthful incompetence as “play”?

Here’s a photo of the hawk & its prey: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/2773551108/in/set-72157602221155793/

Ah ha, perhaps you are right. (Wish I had posted under your backyard bird of prey kills thread). Super photo.

Birds&Breathing said:

Ah ha, perhaps you are right. (Wish I had posted under your backyard bird of prey kills thread). Super photo.

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Thanks. Like many such photos, just a matter of glancing out of the window at the right time.