Bird of Prey Kill Site
Dramatic stories are not limited to the snowy woods of northern New England! This photograph was taken in Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It tells the story of a small bird being killed by a relatively small bird of prey, most likely a Cooper’s Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk – both are accipiters and predators of small birds (as well as other prey). Because their wingspans overlap, there’s no way to unequivocally state which of these raptors left this imprint, but whichever it was, it was successful, judging by the feathers and blood that remain. Both of these hawks are listed as Massachusetts Species of Special Concern, with the Sharp-shinned hawk sighted most often in the western part of the state. (Photograph by Sadie Richards)
You are right – wildlife drama is not limited to woods and fields. When I lived in a townhouse in Maryland, we had two American Kestrels that lived in the woods behind our house. There was a “common” area between us and the woods (a grassy area that was only mowed once a year) and I saw the kestrels occasionally kill mice or voles or some other small prey in that meadow.
January 25, 2013 at 3:07 pm
What are the marks in the snow that show in the upper right of the Kestrel photo?
January 25, 2013 at 4:27 pm
HI Ned,
If you’re referring to this blog, the lines in the upper right is the imprint of the raptor’s right wing.
January 25, 2013 at 7:52 pm
Nice! Always exciting to see wildlife in urban areas. I was walking around Cambridge (MA) a couple of summers ago and was surprised to see a brown creeper climbing up a street tree!
By the way, I believe the Cooper’s hawk was delisted in MA several years ago.
January 26, 2013 at 9:03 pm
Thanks so much, Vivian. You are absolutely right — the Cooper’s Hawk is no longer a species of special concern in MA. My source was dated! Many thanks. Mary
January 27, 2013 at 11:24 pm