Swainson’s Hawk Face-plant Into Rabbitbrush

Sometimes raptors risk serious injury as they go after prey – especially to their eyes.

Note: this post is only meant to document behavior.  I’m sure you’ll be as disappointed as I was that I lost critical focus on several of these images.   

 

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On my Montana camping trip earlier this month I spent a lot of time with this juvenile Swainson’s hawk.  The clouds had moved in so the light was poor when the bird left its fence post perch and landed on the gravel road as it pursued grasshoppers.  Here it has spotted something (though I didn’t know it yet) in a rabbitbrush perhaps 100′ away near the fence line.

 

 

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When the hawk first took off I assumed it was going back to perch on one of the fence posts but it had another goal in mind.

 

 

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It gained only a couple of feet of altitude to clear the taller grass near the road…

 

 

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And then leveled out at speed.  It was about at this point that I realized the bird might have mayhem rather than a perch in mind.

 

 

 

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It went straight for this rabbitbrush and only flared to slightly slow its speed at the very last moment.

 

 

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As luck would have it I began to lose focus as the hawk plunged into the plant, apparently after another grasshopper.  The position of its grasping right foot strongly suggests to me that it definitely has a particular prey item in mind, though I never did see it.

 

 

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The bird still had considerable speed when it did a face-plant into the bush.

 

 

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A split second later I acquired focus again, just as the hawk fell away from the dead portion of the rabbitbrush…

 

 

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apparently sans prey.  A few moments later the hawk flew off to the right with empty talons (I believe).

Every time I look at this series I think of some of my earlier posts about nictitating membranes and the heavy brow ridges of raptors.  Both structures are meant to protect the eye and this series of images reinforces for me their value as these birds go into harms way in pursuit of prey.

The thought of my own face going into those stiff, pointy twigs at speed makes me cringe.

Ron

Addendum:  most images here were taken at 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, using my 500mm without the tc.

 

 

19 Comments

  1. I just loved this series….I live in Indiana but recently had a few years of hawks, osprey and eagles in Maine. Through your series I could just feel the majesty and command of this bird……I see an occasional red tail hawk….and not sure just what species along the highways….but these are wonderful~!!! Thank you!!

  2. The Evil iPad wants my vote…fat chance!!!

  3. That poor bird. I hope he did not hurt his eyes. Life is so hard sometimes. Beautiful images and a great story. Thank you.

  4. I feel for anyone, human or avian, who does a face plant into anything. I did that onto concrete almost 6 years ago, resulting in 15 stitches to my face. Not a pretty sight! I hope this bird learns how to go after prey without endangering itself this way. It has never occurred to me that birds could do something like that.

  5. Ron, fantastic series. I hope the nictitating membranes were very thick.

  6. Having JUST managed NOT to do a face plant on asphalt, and doing a thumb-elbow “side plant” instead (thanks to the “exit break-a-way ” manuver of a 115 lb dog, excited to be home after a long car trip) I have great empathy for that poor hungry bird. It’s easy to see how they can so often suffer from eye injuries. Also easy fo see why so many juveniles die of starvation because of undeveloped, inexpert hunting skills.

  7. Ouch.
    As a practised face planter my heart goes out to this bird. And a grasshopper (particularly one that got away) seems an inadequate reward. Very inadequate.

    • I’ve done a face plant or two in my time, Elephant’s Child and I can say that I wouldn’t want to do one into the this spikey, sharp rabbitbrush – even for a good meal if I was very hungry.

      • My most spectacular effort was a face plant into the road. I still bear the scars and was lucky that, for a change, my mouth was shut. And no, a plant into those spikes is the stuff of nightmares. Even my greedy self is never that hungry.

  8. Wow! Amazing shots Ron!
    Charlotte

  9. Wow, great series because it tells the whole story! Thank you.

  10. Point well taken! Excellent series, love your shots of behavior. You should put a book together of “Bird Behavior in Pictures” or some such title. Would have loved to know your settings for these shots. Many thanks for sharing!

    • Thanks, Dick. I didn’t include camera techs because my site had server issues this morning while I was trying to do the post – for a while I wasn’t sure I’d be able to publish this post at all. These shots were mostly taken at 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, with my 500mm without the tc. I’ll edit the post to include them.

      • Sorry about your server issues; thanks for the info. Besides me being lazy about it, server issues is why I probably haven’t put together my own blog. Maybe sometime in the future.

        • Dick, Let me know if you ever decide to give it a go and I can provide some advice about who to host your blog with (and who to avoid). Since I changed providers I’ve had very few problems but with my previous provider problems were almost constant.

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