Anybody that has a "bird feeder" should be aware that it is also a hawk (really accipter) feeder, and a cat feeder where there are outside cats. Fortunately the vast majority of the birds that come to our neighbors' feeders here are non-natives, especially (not) English (not) Sparrows, House Finches, and Asian Ringdoves. Coopers' Hawks are the only raptor that's on the increase in CA, and it is due to suburban bird feeders. Around here they nest in Mexican Fan palms, about 70 feet up in the air and drink from swimming pools before people get up in the morning.
I too have had gamebirds stolen by accipters: a sharpshin stole a dead quail from me in Whitman County WA and a Northern Goshawk stole a dead ruffed grouse from me in Rensselaer County NY. (I couldn't shoot because I was laughing too hard in both cases).
Accipters' short, wide wings and long skinny bodies are adapted to "swimming" through foliage on the way to a kill. And they ARE dangerous "pets": read Steven Bodio's book on falconry.
GREAT pics! Thanks for posting!
Last edited by Mesa; 05/26/20.
