Red Riding

A Redwing Blackbird rode a Red-Tailed Hawk.  This was in today’s wind gusts.  The hawk had flown from a tree and was gliding, wings stiff and straight, across a field.  The blackbird was behind and above the hawk—a nuisance bird of the sort that tails hawks.  This blackbird, fast over the hawk and flitting back and forth—its red wingbars flashing—slowed and settled on the back of the Red-Tail.  I watched its wings fold as it sat on the hawk’s back.  The hawk batted—tilting right and left—and the blackbird lifted—up a foot or two on quick wings—and just as quickly the blackbird settled again on the hawk’s back.  The blackbird seemed less interested in pestering the hawk than in catching a ride.

Comments

[chris wemmer]

Cool observation. I saw a western kingbird do the same thing many years ago with a barn owl, and I can still see it in my mind's eye.

[larry]

Chris--I'm glad someone else has also seen this; it was wonderfully odd.

[Crafty Green Poet]

Wow, what an odd thing to see, but it makes sense that the blackbird would do that...

[Aaron]

You'll love this photo! Thought it might have been photoshopped -- found your post while trying to find out more about blackbirds riding hawks..

http://www.vineritriskaideka.com/free-ride/

[larry]

Aaron--I do love the photo, and I'm still laughing at it. Thanks much.