Red-tailed Hawk landing on nest, Bobst Library, NYU, New York City

Birds team up, tease a Washington Square Park fledgling Hawk – July 21st, 2018

A Washington Square Park fledgling Hawk really gave me the runaround during today’s visit. It had me chasing it in almost every direction. I first saw two Hawks circling northwest of the park. I looked for them there with no luck.

I was back in the park when I saw what I believe was an adult Hawk circling southwest of the park with food in its talons:

NYC Red-tailed Hawk with food in talons outside Washington Square Park

I saw a different Hawk (this time a fledgling) a few minutes later flying toward the back of the old Judson Memorial Church cross tower:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling flying

It gave me the slip! I was back in the park yet again when I noticed a fledgling sitting on top of a building northeast of the park:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk sitting on building top

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling sitting on building heat vent NYC

It jumped off and continued flying northeast. I now had the break I was looking for and followed what I hoped was the correct flight path.

Blue Jays were calling out angrily a few blocks north so I followed their calls until I saw them.

They were harassing the same fledgling I saw earlier:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling harassed by Mockingbird NYC

The fledgling was sitting on a water tower support:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling sitting under water tower

There were a number of birds teasing the fledgling. It was a mix of Blue Jays and Mockingbirds:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling harassed by Blue Jay

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling harassed by bird

The fledgling flew away from the birds three minutes after I found it:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling harassed by birds

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling flying away from birds

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling flying away from NYC birds

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling flying over NYC buildings

It was a fun visit even though I spent such a short amount of time with the young Hawk.

The little adventurer’s water tower perch was located at the red star in the street map below:

Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawk fledgling perch NYC


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7 thoughts on “Birds team up, tease a Washington Square Park fledgling Hawk – July 21st, 2018

  1. Great shots! I am always amazed at the courage of small/small-er birds to dive bomb raptors who could easily eat them for lunch. This is the first time I have seen this with the hawks. In fact, I think some of your pictures have shown finches sitting next to hawks – neither one appearing bothered. I had been watching bald eagles for a long time before discovering the hawks. I was amazed to see blackbirds landing on eagles in flight, and just taking a ride on their back using eagle power 🙂 There were also lots of attacks by other small or smaller birds. The one I saw riding the eagle was from the Decorah nest, and I also watched an eagle from the White Rock (NB) nest dive bombed for long periods of time, by crows working in tandem at driving the eagle off its perch. Have you seen that activity with hawks, Roger Paw?

    1. Hi! I have seen Mockingbirds, Blue Jays, Peregrine Falcons, and Kestrels dive-bomb and bully the Hawks away from perches in the past but at least the activity wasn’t to the point where I was worried for the Hawks’ safety.

      I have not seen crows bully the WSP Hawks but that would be a pretty intense sight.

      Your description of the blackbirds landing on the eagles was amazing!

  2. Bullies , I guess , ,are in every form of a living breathing animal or human
    Somehow, that Is supportive of the thought, that all of us have this “bully gene” but need teaching and
    kindness to support one another w/o the cruelty of bullying.
    It is a hard world out there, for anything/one weaker or hesitant to be bold enough to say “NO”
    I would love to see the link showing the blackbird ring the back of a hawk.
    Thanks, Roger_Paw for your endurance in chasing down our fledglings and their antics.

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