Do hawks run in packs?

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Shadowrider

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Last couple of days I've seen about 6 or 8 fairly large birds scoping out the neighborhood. They are colored and marked similar to juvenile Red Tails. Size wise they are between a Mississppi Kite and full grown adult Red Tail. Not what I would call large but not small either. Yesterday a couple of them seemed more intent on jacking with each other than hunting and one chased the other down and they flew right over my roof, but they were going too fast to get a good look at. Any ideas on what they might be? I've seen a large pair of Red Tails around all summer and have wondered if they prey on small dogs and cats. Now these guys are snooping around.
 

dennishoddy

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If they are a grey color, they are probably Coopers Hawks. Smaller than a Redtail.

I've seen them hunt in pairs pretty often. The prey will be moving through the cover, while one hawk flutters real low trying to flush it out. The other will stay about 15' overhead waiting to dive on the prey if an opening comes about.

Its really common to have coopers hawks use a farmer working a field as an aid. I'll be disking up a stubble field that has grown up in weeds. There will be one hawk or two over head, another at the end of the field, and one flying short hops parallel to the tractor.

Amazing how they have adapted to our presence.
 

Oklahomabassin

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No but they fly in flocks.

They may be juvenile red tails or like Dennis said Cooper hawks. Once during the spring I saw over 2 dozen hawks sitting in around on a 120 short grass field.
 

Okie4570

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Twice in the last twenty years, on the same property on Grant Co., I've encountered dozens and dozens of them. They're both circling and sitting out in the fields, usually over just one quarter. I assumed it was parents and young of the year before the young had moved on to find their own territories.
 

Fyrtwuck

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I was talking to the Vet the last time I took my dogs in for their shots. He said that he had been told by two of his customers that some kind of birds had taken off with their small dogs.
 

Jon3830

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No but they fly in flocks.

They may be juvenile red tails or like Dennis said Cooper hawks. Once during the spring I saw over 2 dozen hawks sitting in around on a 120 short grass field.

a cast of hawks not flock some people say kettle of hawks but I've always heard it was cast.
 

Shadowrider

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They are still hanging out. Finally got some pics. Sorry about them being crappy, I had to turn on the digital zoom. This is about 1/3 of them as there is about 12 cruising the currents over the neighborhood just about every single day. These few have been kicking back like in these pics in the dead tree at the house behind mine every evening for about a week now.

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dennishoddy

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That's a Mississippi Kite. They love urban parks and neighborhoods with lots of trees. During nesting season, they become pretty aggressive, dive bombing joggers and people in their yards.

220px-Mississippi_Kite.jpg
 

Shadowrider

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I'll be damned. I thought Mississippi Kites were smaller than this, but I looked them up and there's no doubt now. Learn something new every day.

It's odd that I've never seen them like this before this year. Maybe the 'nado took out their normal haunts and they just moved in here.
 

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