It’s Nature: City Hawk Chows Down on Henry Street

By on November 25, 2012 10:39 pm in Nature

Earlier this month, we received photos of a hawk living in Concord Village. Now comes video of a hawk doing what comes naturally on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. Deja vu all over again for us as this has happened before. WARNING:Graphic video follows after the jump.

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  • Concord Village Resident

    I think it’s one and the same. He’s been dive bombing pigeons @ Concord Village and eats them in full view of screaming children, frightened small dogs and nervous squirrels. The pigeons here are hiding.

  • Old MacDonald

    It’s a urban vs rural thing. Country folk wouldn’t be so grossed out or fascinated with this.
    And not far away, humans were eating chickens, cattle and pigs, that had ben ripped apart and ground up. Not to mention the vegetables that had been torn from their homes in the ground and cut up with sharp knives. In full view of screaming children. Gross?

  • Jack Simmons

    Nature, while not in ‘balance’, does allow populations of animals to rise and fall according to the systems’ capacity to support them.

    There are more than enough pigeons in New York. They spread disease and filth. People can’t or won’t fix it. Nature will.

    Nice to see environment of Brooklyn healthy enough to support hawks. This is evidence people are safe from chemical contaminants.

  • Cadmangal

    I was there and shot the exact same video. It was both brutal yet fascinating.

  • cadmangal

    And I posted on youtube as incagal.

  • 5thfloorwalkuper

    Red-tailed hawk – fairly common in the city. After all, the city provides lots of food for them.

  • Ginny

    The video did not gross me out. He’s just eating his meat uncooked and he actually had to hunt for it, not buy it all packaged up nicely at the supermarket. He’s quite a beautiful bird, I think.

  • AnnOfOrange

    A wonderful photographer and blogger follows Bobby and Rosie, the Red Tail Hawks of Washington Square Park including their nest outside the office of the NYU president — http://rogerpaw.blogspot.com/

    Also during nesting season the New York Times has a live video camera focused on the nest, which produced two fledglings. Off-season it is re-broadcasting the events of the spring and summer. http://www.livestream.com/nytnestcam

    Sometimes gory — often a fascinating look at how urban hawks have adapted to city life.

  • persimmon

    I found an egg in Cadman Plaza over the weekend on a bed of leaves. It is white, thick shelled (survived the fall from the tree) and almost the size of a chicken egg. It looks too bid for the usual type of bird in the park. Does anyone have any insight?

    TIA and thanks for the video. Did not find it gross – found it fascinating.

    j

  • cadmangal

    A friend just called to say she recognized my voice on this video. So much for going undercover.

    Persimmon, did you take a photo? If it is still there I’ll take one.

  • AnnOfOrange

    Persimmon – Not likely a Red Tail Hawk egg. It’s way too early. I’m not very knowledgeable on the subject but from what I have seen viewing and reading several hawk blogs for two years, mature Red Tails work as a couple, build sturdy, secure nests and are attentive parents from the laying of the first egg. Would be wonderful to be able to identify the egg you found. You might want to send a photo to the local Audubon Society.

  • Marathoner

    Just goes to show, even the Hawks have had it with Key Foods!

  • Mr. Crusty

    Watching made me hungry, off to Shake Shack.

  • j

    Tastes like chicken?

  • DIBS

    I’ve seen this hawk. He’s magnificent. Wish there were more all around the city to ferast on pigeons.

  • Andrew Porter

    I’m surprised he’s eating on the sidewalk. In the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, usually they’ll sit on a tree limb, let the feathers and unwanted bits fall to the ground.

    The rabbits know not to come out in bright sunlight, when they cast a sharp hawk-visible shadow. The squirrels and pigeons are not so hawk-knowledgeable.

  • AnnOfOrange

    DIBS – Does it have a red tail? Or is it striped? I’m thinking that it might be an immature RT Hawk looking to establish its territory.

  • http://cadmanhawk.blogspot.com/ Eric

    I saw a red tailed hawk last year in Cadman Park and logged my sightings on a blog: http://cadmanhawk.blogspot.com/ I don’t know if this is the same hawk or not but let me know if you see it so I can keep track of it. Hopefully we will get our own resident hawk and nest right here in Brooklyn Heights!

  • AnnOfOrange

    Eric – Thanks for the link. I’ll watch for it and post on your blog if I see it. If “he” is happy here maybe he will find a mate. We have some great buildings for establishing a nest and plenty of pigeons and rats, although with all the poison out I worry about Hawks eating poisoned rats. That happened with two RT Hawks in Central Park within the last year.

  • Patti O’Kane

    I have seen Redtail Hawks in this neighborhood on & off for years…although it may have been the same hawk between Cadman Plaza and the vicinity of LICH. I have never said anything to anyone as someone would complain about its/their hunting strategies. These birds are a reason we should not have rat poison sprinkled on the ground (traps instead, as by the courthouse) as these majestic creatures too can be poisoned.

    http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/81470.html

    This is a neighborhood with many wondrous creatures, even in the winter. There is an albino pigeon (I believe I can see the pink eyes. Its easy prey for hawks as its stands out!) perched near Pineapple St. while every so often I see a Downy Woodpecker over by the A train trees. In spring/fall migration such lovely warblers & such (Monarch Butterflies…I once saw a single monarch cross over the river contending with the smoke of 9/11) pass by to chow down briefly on their perilous Mexico/Caribbean seasonal endpoint flights. More than once I have seen different species of warblers seeking insect fare in small trees by the Jewish Synogogue over by Clark St. It’s a matter of being mindful & keeping your eyes peeled all 4 seasons; you will be treated to an array of creation in the Heights…..

  • Brixtony

    A Peregrine Falcon was photographed this week perched on the fence around Brooklyn Friends School’s roof-deck playground.