Urban Raptor tussle: Peregrine Falcon versus Red-tailed Hawk

January 12, 2019 (East Cambridge, MA)  While grocery shopping this weekend, I saw a pair of Peregrine Falcon stooping on pigeons.  To me, this isn’t a huge surprise, as this particular lot is an area that I bird often this time of year.  A flock of some 200 pigeons try to survive in this area every winter, relying on human sources of food. The regular appearance of pigeons draws in many birds of prey, eager to catch one and make a significant meal.  This also leads to intrerspecies conflicts between raptors. The raptor action usually starts mid October and extends into March, and I often use the hashtag #eastcambridgeraptors on social media when talking about birds in this area.  

Cooperative Hunting from Peregrine Falcon Adult Pair

Back to the falcons – watching a pair of adult Peregrines cooperatively hunt is a thrilling experience.  My heart rate jumps up just thinking about it – the Peregrine Falcon is the world’s fastest bird, capable of breaking 200mph in a dive.  But pigeons are no easy target – they are remarkably fast and agile, and a flock of them has many eyes to avoid surprise attacks.  

Stoop Attack from the Adult Female Peregrine Falcon on a Red-tailed Hawk

After a few attack moves from the Peregrines in pursuit of the pigeon flock, the adult female falcon turned her attention to a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk that had been perched on top of the grocery store. What followed were about 10 merciless stoop attacks on the Red-tail, including this impossible frame. The Red-tail has fully flipped over to expose her best defensive weapons, her talons. 

Peregrine Falcon Climbs for Another Attack Dive

As the lighting suggests, this is a bit of a crazy angle as the adult female Peregrine Falcon reaches the top of her climb right over my head, before turning into a high-speed stoop.

Red-tailed Hawk in a Defensive Pose

That face you make when you realize another bird may be trying to kill you! Here’s the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk as the Peregrine comes in for another attack. The Red-tail looks extremely fluffed up here: not sure if that’s a sign of frazzlement, or a technique to make herself look bigger. 

No Raptors Harmed in this Interspecies Incident

Eventually, the Red-tailed Hawk gave up the high perch and hid out of sight while the Peregrines eventually left the area.  Everyone walked (flew!) away from this encounter, but it was a day I wouldn’t soon forget.