What small bird would follow a goshawk? (2 Viewers)

[jafritten]

Hello! Earlier this morning I went for a walk in an abandoned graveyard with many shrubs and old trees. I looked out for a goshawk (accipiter gentilis) that I see there almost every day. (It is great to watch it maneuvre through the tombstones btw.) I spotted it some 10 meters away from me. It then flew off with what I think was a pigeon in its talons. What puzzles me is that the goshawk was followed by a much smaller bird in a very short distance of less than 4 feet. It looked rather slender and not bigger than a great spotted woodpecker. It was under the canopy so the light was quite dim and I couldn't see any colours. Could it have been a sparrow hawk? Or a kestrel? Has anyone ever observed such behaviour?

Any ideas are much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Richard Prior]

Hard to guess, especially as you state the pursuing bird was smaller than a Great Spotted Woodpecker but you also wonder if it was a Sparrowhawk or Kestrel, which are both bigger than said woodpecker
At this time of year Mistle Thrush will chase predator species from their territory, they can be very brave ( or foolhardy if you prefer!).
In a nutshell, you’ll have to let this one go I fear.

 

[dantheman]

Could it have been a male Goshawk following the female? They are much smaller, and in the gloom appear smaller again. But as Richard says, it could be a passerine (or near-passerine) with high testerone ;-) I've seen a male Blackbird literally fly in and knock a Magpie off a Starling it was trying to kill. Circling sparrowhawks etc are often followed/mobbed by Swallows, Pied Wagtails etc.

 

[jafritten]

Hard to guess, especially as you state the pursuing bird was smaller than a Great Spotted Woodpecker but you also wonder if it was a Sparrowhawk or Kestrel, which are both bigger than said woodpecker
At this time of year Mistle Thrush will chase predator species from their territory, they can be very brave ( or foolhardy if you prefer!).
In a nutshell, you’ll have to let this one go I fear.

Thanks for your reply, Richard.

I never knew a thrush would chase a goshawk! There are, in fact, thrushes at this graveyard and what I saw looked very much like it. I know kestrels, sparrowhawks and male goshawks are bigger than what I saw but I presumed it would have to have been some predator.

 

[Montereyman]

A bird will charge a predator if it has a nest in the area. I often see crows being harrassed by smaller birds.