Hitching a first-class ride

As it turns out, this is not too uncommon. Red-winged blackbirds are extremely protective of their nests and it is quite often that humans are dive-bombed by protective males. So if they will attack humans, they will surely harass a hawk (and occasionally land on them too.)

So the next time you are out watching red-tailed hawks during nesting season, keep a keen-eye on those red-winged blackbirds and watch for them landing on the backs of the hawk. They do not land for more than a couple of seconds, so you have to watch closely.



If one Red-Winged Blackbird isn't enough, how about two?



All photographs © 2002-2008, Alan Stankevitz