Compilation of hawk photos and video of a predatory hawk that captured and carried a away a squirrel Wednesday morning.
The Cardinal has been keeping an eye on the hawks in the area and through the years hawks have been seen in trees, perched on balconies at Dunton Tower, perched on utility poles, and soaring through the air. Wednesday morning a squirrel was prey for the hawk captured on the video above. The hawk swooped down to a front yard, captured a squirrel and forced it into submission with its talons. Then the hawk took off with the squirrel toward the backyard of a house on Dryden Avenue.
Hawks are carnivorous, and opportunistic feeders — eating mainly small mammals, other birds and reptiles. Prey varies with regional and seasonal availability, but usually centers on rodents, comprising up to 85% of a hawk’s diet. Hawks also eat rabbits, gophers, shrews, bats, snakes, waterfowl, fish, crustaceans and insects.
The Red-tailed Hawk hunts primarily from an elevated perch site, swooping down from a perch to seize prey or pursuing prey on the ground from a low flight. They are also known to catching other birds while flying.
Hawks are prevalent in the northwest suburbs, and are often seen in neighborhoods catching squirrels, other birds and rabbits. Their population has increased in recent years.
Become a fan of The Arlington Cardinal garden page. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on garden, flower and outdoor topics. You can also go direct to the garden gallery … For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Scarry looking birds! They kind of look like owls. Nice video :)