Crows will certainly chase and mob smallish raptors, such as Sharp-shinned or Cooper's (juvenile male) hawks. It is rare for them ever to catch them in a truly vulnerable position, as you describe, but I'm sure they would take advantage of it if they could.
Crows also will occasionally kill Rock Pigeons, if they get the chance. Perhaps that is what you saw. Crows love meat, but they're lousy predators without any of the sharp implements that hawks and owls have. But, they're game for a try when the opportunity presents itself. Best, Kevin From: bounce-69379892-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-69379892-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Susan Fast Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 11:03 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Question I was just looking in the field across the road from our house and noted about a dozen crows really going after what I initially thought was another crow. This bird was slightly smaller than the crows, but otherwise looked, from a distance, just like them. The crows forced it to the ground; 2 crows then stood on either side of it while the rest circled and cawed directly overhead and "bombed" it. It then flew and I noted the under wing pattern like a turkey vulture. The bird was definitely not a vulture. I have not seen crows go after anything with this intensity unless it was a great horned owl. Could it have been a kite of some kind? They all flew rapidly off to the SE before I could get the scope. Steve Fast Brooktondale -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
