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From: dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Sam Conway)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Hawk in the city?
Message-ID: <17866@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 11 Dec 89 22:31:55 GMT
References: <1870.2583873c@mccall.uucp>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Sam Conway)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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In article <1870.2583873c@mccall.uucp> scott@mccall.uucp writes:
>This weekend I saw a hawk eating a wren.  I live in the city(~30,000).  I
>rarely seen a hawk in town much less eating its prey.  I live in an apt.
>building, and this hawk was on my neighbors patio.  Has anyone seen this
>before?

It is certainly likely.  Peregrine falcons have been known to make their 
nests in large cities for the past several years.  Tall buildings are
an ideal habitat for this cliff-nesting falcon, and as the bird is a
bird-eater, the presence of pigeons creates a real smorgasbord!  There
are two well-known nests on two skyscrapers in Boston, and one nest
was reported last year on the Verazzano Narrows Bridge in New York.
 
Some cities actually "hacked" peregrines within the city limits for
the express purpose of reducing pigeon populations.  I've heard that
this was done a number of times in Manhattan....but not Manhattan,
Kansas, where Mr. McCall posted from!  It's still possible that this  
city has its own population of 'grines who find buildings as comfortable
as cliffs.


--
Sam Conway 
dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu                                         
Chemistry Dept., Dartmouth College
Vermont Raptor Center, VINS                         Save the Humans!