Photo Caption: A mourning dove searching for food in the snow was picked off by a Cooper’s hawk that hit the dove on the ground and stood on it until it died. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Story by Lone Star Outdoor News
The mourning dove sat beneath the deer feeder in the snow, picking an easy meal of a few corn kernels. The dove was accompanied by several northern cardinals and other song- birds.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a Cooper’s hawk passed over the other birds and descended on the dove, making the kernel of corn the dove’s last meal.
Landowners and hunters interested in quail don’t relish the sight of the hawks, knowing the birds are a target.
Do the hawks choose dove, pigeons and quail as their favorite meals?
According to Texas’ state ornithologist, Cliff Shackelford, probably not, although it may appear that way.
“Cooper’s hawks and their close cousin, the sharp-shinned hawk, occur across Texas and both are primarily bird eaters,” Shackelford said. “They’re also opportunistic whether dove, grackle or a variety of songbirds is preyed upon.”
Because the two hawk species are often seen in urban environments, where dove and pigeons are in ample supply, it might appear they are the favored prey species, Shackleford said.
“It is difficult to test whether these hawks choose a prey item by identifying it to species,” he said. “Instead, they’re trying to sneak up on whichever bird, any species that’s the correct size, isn’t paying attention. Those not paying attention are likely going to be the hawk’s lunch.”
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Cooper’s hawk captures a bird with its feet and kills it by repeated squeezing, holding their catch away from the body until it dies. They’ve even been known to drown their prey, holding a bird underwater until it stops moving.
