Sparrowhawk v. rabbit
Helen Thorne
I had a magnificent male sparrowhawk on my fence yesterday afternoon
which even stayed long enough for the whole family to see through the
scope until they were bored! Doesn't take much to bore my kids:( Still
the rabbits in their run were faily skittish, which is probably what
held the sparrowhawk's attention for so long. They were safe, being
totally enclosed, but had the not been enclosed, what sort of threat do
you think a sparrowhawk would pose to a domestic (small) rabbit? I know
a wild one would not usually be taken (ever?), but is that because of
it's weight or speed?
--
Helen Thorne
Peter Gallagher
Great story helen! Lucky you!
In answer to your question; my thoughts...
Female Sparrowhawks are claimed to take rabbits in the wild, but they are
much bigger that the males..
I think size is the factor here - not speed. Like most predators, spars
use the advantage of surprise, so speed of an (escaping) rabbit is just a
question of pot-luck: the predator is "in time" or not , as the case may
be.
I think also that your pet rabbits' reaction was instinctive - despite
possibly being too large a prey for a male sparrowhawk.
Cheers,
PeterG
Helen Thorne <hel...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes:
--
Peter Gallagher, Amsterdam, Netherlands internet: pe...@xs4all.nl
" I used to finish every sentence I started, but now I just ...."
--my sister, Christine
John Durell Tel 4152
Dear Helen,
The latest issue of Bird Watching has an excellent
photograph of a female sparrowhawk eating a small
rabbit in someone's garden, sent in by a reader!
So, keep your pets in their hutch!
John
Mike Jackson
In article <k9t+HNAd...@lozon.demon.co.uk>, Helen Thorne <helen-
2...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
> what sort of threat do
>you think a sparrowhawk would pose to a domestic (small) rabbit?
On our farm we have evidence of sparrow hawks taking birds up to
blackbird size. They are a major problem in our attempt to increase
small songbird numbers.
However, I think it v unlikely a sp hawk would attack uour pet rabbit.
It would have to have a "drive-in" meal and eat on the premises as the
weight problem would be insurmountable for a "take-out."
Incidentally, what is the biggest bird that anyone knows a sp hawk to
have taken? Can anyone beat a blackbird?
-- Mike Jackson
Malcolm Ogilvie
In article <LbkyYHAY...@jackomg.demon.co.uk>, Mike Jackson
<mi...@jackomg.demon.co.uk> writes
>In article <k9t+HNAd...@lozon.demon.co.uk>, Helen Thorne <helen-
>2...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>> what sort of threat do
>>you think a sparrowhawk would pose to a domestic (small) rabbit?
>
>On our farm we have evidence of sparrow hawks taking birds up to
>blackbird size. They are a major problem in our attempt to increase
>small songbird numbers.
>
a predator controls its prey, or vice versa.
>However, I think it v unlikely a sp hawk would attack uour pet rabbit.
>It would have to have a "drive-in" meal and eat on the premises as the
>weight problem would be insurmountable for a "take-out."
>
>Incidentally, what is the biggest bird that anyone knows a sp hawk to
>have taken? Can anyone beat a blackbird?
>
Yes, of course! They regularly take Collared Doves in my garden, and the
list of prey species in Ian Newton's monograph includes Crow, Rook, Jay,
Woodpigeon, Black Grouse, Pheasant and Mallard.
Malcolm
--
Malcolm Ogilvie, Isle of Islay, Scotland, U.K.
Martin Collinson
Mike Jackson wrote:
> On our farm we have evidence of sparrow hawks taking birds up to
> blackbird size. They are a major problem in our attempt to increase
> small songbird numbers.
Hark! The characteristic rustle of hackles rising reverberates
around uk.rec.birdwatching! Don't worry - if your farmland birds can
support a population of sparrowhawks, you're doing well. Keep up the
good work with songbirds, and let the s/hawks do what they do.
Cheers
Martin
Martin.C...@ed.ac.uk
Paul Greenall
Hello Mike,
I have personally seen a large female Sparrowhawk on my local
patch take
Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove and Lapwing. The bird uses an
interesting
technique when hunting them. The fields where these birds feed
are
surrounded by drystone walls and the Sparrowhawk uses these to
hide behind to surprise the prey. I know this is well documented
Sparrowhawk behaviour but this bird will land on the wall {on the side
out of view from the prey} and then it runs along the top of the
wall{crouching down to keep out of sight, behind the coping stones}
until it is directly in line with the prey. It then chooses the right
moment{usually when the unknowing prey moves closer} and launches itself
off the wall into the birds.On each occasion I have seen this{3 times}
the hawk has been successful.
Paul.----------
> From: Mike Jackson[SMTP:mi...@jackomg.demon.co.uk]
> Posted At: 05 February 1998 17:47
> Posted To: uk.rec.birdwatching
> Conversation: Sparrowhawk v. rabbit
> Subject: Re: Sparrowhawk v. rabbit
>
> In article <k9t+HNAd...@lozon.demon.co.uk>, Helen Thorne <helen-
> 2...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
> > what sort of threat do
> >you think a sparrowhawk would pose to a domestic (small) rabbit?
>
> blackbird size. They are a major problem in our attempt to increase
> small songbird numbers.
>
> It would have to have a "drive-in" meal and eat on the premises as the
> weight problem would be insurmountable for a "take-out."
>
> Incidentally, what is the biggest bird that anyone knows a sp hawk to
> have taken? Can anyone beat a blackbird?
>
>
Mike Barnes
In uk.rec.birdwatching, Mike Jackson <mi...@jackomg.demon.co.uk> spake
thuswise:
>Can anyone beat a blackbird?
I misread that as "can anyone *eat* a blackbird?". I was about to
answer "yes", then I remembered where I was. Oops! Forget I spoke.
--
-- Mike Barnes, Stockport, England.
-- If you post a response to Usenet, please *don't* send me a copy by e-mail.
Malcolm Ogilvie
In article <pck5n4G7...@exodus.co.uk>, Mike Barnes
<mi...@exodus.co.uk> writes
>In uk.rec.birdwatching, Mike Jackson <mi...@jackomg.demon.co.uk> spake
>thuswise:
>>Can anyone beat a blackbird?
>
>I misread that as "can anyone *eat* a blackbird?". I was about to
>answer "yes", then I remembered where I was. Oops! Forget I spoke.
>
Why not! I remember a boat trip down the Tarn river in France, when a
Dipper flew in front of the boat and the boatman said "Ah, la Merle
d'eau" and then proceeded to tell us that they were not as tasty as the
genuine Merles (i.e. Blackbirds)! We took his word for it ;-)
Incidentally, an interesting local name for Dipper, not the official
French name, which is Cincle plongeur.
Bob Moffitt
Mike Jackson <mi...@jackomg.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <k9t+HNAd...@lozon.demon.co.uk>, Helen Thorne <helen-
>2...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>> what sort of threat do
>>you think a sparrowhawk would pose to a domestic (small) rabbit?
8X snip
>Incidentally, what is the biggest bird that anyone knows a sp hawk to
>have taken? Can anyone beat a blackbird?
>-- Mike Jackson
One of next door's homing pigeons, ate most of it, and came back later
in the afternoon, it looked everywhere for it for about 15 minutes,
but the carcaes was in the bin so that the pigeon fancier did not
twig. It is not quite certain that the SH actually killed the pigeon
as there was a nice imprint of both birds on the french windows!
Bob Moffitt Recycle: Once is never enough
b...@skirrid.demon.co.uk http://www.skirrid.demon.co.uk/
All unsolicited commercial E-mail incurs a $100 administration charge.
NBillSumne
We managed to acquire a Collared Dove imprint on the window overlooking the
back garden. This was chased by a MALE sparrowhawk which surprised me (although
if a female can take a pheasant..). The male sparrowhawk sat obligingly on the
fence for a while while the dove panted at the foot of the fence. We decided to
be non-interventionist - neither walking away to let the hawk finish it off nor
try to save the dove. Eventually the hawk gave up and the dove flew to a
neighbour's roof and sat for an hour recovering from its ordeal.
Incidentally collared dove is now our commonest garden bird at all times of the
year. Sparrows and starling still nest in the houses and visit in winter but
nothing like in the numbers that we took for granted for so long. We no longer
regard them as 'greedy birds' who pinch all the food - sparrows are as welcome
on the nuts as the tits and finches. When I'm out cycling and hear the chirp of
sparrows around a house or farm building I realise that this noise is often
missing.
Andrew McGleish
Malcolm Ogilvie wrote:
>
> Why not! I remember a boat trip down the Tarn river in France, when a
> Dipper flew in front of the boat and the boatman said "Ah, la Merle
> d'eau" and then proceeded to tell us that they were not as tasty as the
> genuine Merles (i.e. Blackbirds)! We took his word for it ;-)
>
> Incidentally, an interesting local name for Dipper, not the official
> French name, which is Cincle plongeur.
Do you have a suggestion for a bird names list translating english to
french and vice versa. I don't want to go to the extent of buying a
french language field guide?
--
Andrew McGleish, Lecturer in Forensic Mental Health Nursing
Caswell Clinic, Bridgend & District NHS Trust, Glanrhyd Hospital,
Bridgend, Wales CF31 4LN
Tel: 01656 662179 Fax: 01656 662157
E-mail: AM...@netcomuk.co.uk
Stephen Poley
>Do you have a suggestion for a bird names list translating english to
>french and vice versa. I don't want to go to the extent of buying a
>french language field guide?
Funnily enough the same question cropped up on rec.birds a few days
ago. After a bit of hunting I managed to track down:
http://www.camme.ac.be/~cammess/birds/
a search program, which seemed at a quick look to be pretty good. It
seems to cover pretty well every species that has been seen in Europe.
Hope this helps.
Stephen Poley
Barendrecht, Holland
B O'Mahony
The Peterson, Mountfort & Hollom field guide lists the French, German,
Dutch, Swedish, English and Latin names for all species described in the
main text.
bom
Andrew McGleish wrote in message <34DF7E...@netcomuk.co.uk>...
>Malcolm Ogilvie wrote:
>> French name, which is Cincle plongeur.
>
>Do you have a suggestion for a bird names list translating english to
>french and vice versa. I don't want to go to the extent of buying a
>french language field guide?
>