I asked the question on this forum about our Goshawks & the little birds
feeding actively with those 3 big predators within 10 feet.
How come all these little guys feed without compunction withthese scary
predators around?
These answers came to me personally, but I think they are worth sharing.
Kevin Corwin
I would guess 2 possibilities, probably conjoined: They'retoo quick to be
caught by a large bird that has to get all that mass up tospeed in a short
distance; and their small size makes them not worththe effort. Squirrels, on
the other hand, are good eatin'!
Bob Andrews:
Perhaps the smaller birds would sense that they are oflesser interest to a
bird as large as a Goshawk; most likely if it had been aSharp-shinned they
wouldn’t have continued feeding. But one would think thesquirrels would be
terrified. I suppose it was a family group, but reallyamazing to see that many
Goshawks together, especially at this time of year.
Dave Leatherman
Since Fox Squirrels are distinctly exotic in your habitat, maybethey have
no natural fear of goshawks. Just a guess. I still thinksomehow the prey knows
by something in the body language of the hawks that theyare not in serious
hunting mode.
Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO
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