Eastern Screech Owl Kills Hawk

While perched and stalking birds, a Sharp-shinned Hawk fell prey to an Eastern Screech Owl. The event occurred late afternoon, 3 p.m., in Northwest Lower Michigan and about 45 feet from my back window. I have a feeding station there. The event lasted about 20 minutes. The Sharpie had been perched about 10 feet up in a spruce tree for over 45 minutes, and earlier in the day, mobbing behavior by local birds indicated the possibility there was an owl in the area. I did not witness the initial attack, but saw two large birds locked together spiraling toward the ground. As an eye witness, I can assure viewers that this was indeed an Eastern Screech Owl.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Owl
• Kills
• Hawk

[lucas2718]

I don't doubt for a second that this video, and the cameraman's assessmet of the situation, are authentic. As he said, that's what makes the video incredible--the fact that this scenario is so atypical. But nature colors outside of the lines more than you think. I once saw a video taken my a motion-sensing camera of a whitetail buck eating bird eggs from a low-lying nest. No joke. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that just about anything is possible.

[susankayzee25]

@lucas2718 This was the whole reason for me posting this video, because it was so incredibly unbelievable that if I hadn't have seen it with my own two eyes, I would have not believed it.

[andysj531]

This is an awesome record of an extremely bizarre behavior! Nice work, must have been a treat to watch!

[susankayzee25]

@andysj531 It absolutely was. I watched through binoculars as the cameras were filming. We had been videoing two pairs of Pileated woodpeckers earlier in the day, then the drama really intensified. The Sharpie came in first and hung around for nearly an hour until BAM, his whole world changed for the worse! Wonders never cease.

[Jayman5273]

**nearly twice its weight**. I mean if the strongest and most feared owl, ya know the GHOW (someone of your stature I assume knows banding codes) cannot lift its owl body weight, how can one of the worlds smallest accomplish at least its own weight if not more? How can you properly ID it's a Sharpie? Can't tell from the video, same with eye color there is no hint of yellow and the facial disc is too big. If that size of an owl is 40ft away & 6" then you just made my world b/c that means

[susankayzee25]

@Jayman5273 I identified the hawk as a Sharpie because he was perched in the tree, facing fully front to the house, harassing birds at the feeders nearby. I had been watching the hawk through the binoculars throughout the morning. However, the hawk might have been an immature Cooper's Hawk, which certainly would out weigh and out size a Screech Owl.

[susankayzee25]

@Jayman5273 While I do appreciate your expertise and experience, I will have to, once again state with absolute confidence that the attacker WAS an Eastern Screech Owl. I am very adept at identifying owls in our area, and there are not that many than can be confused with each other in this part of Michigan. The very reason this video was posted here on YouTube was the fact it was such an unusual occurance. The video has been examined by our local bird experts who back up my identification.

[LilMissWampyre]

SICK!! Nature is so no holds barred. Kick ass nature! Kick ass.

[frenchtoast161]

what a video! it must have been amazing to experience to see this. did you see the owl catch the hawk?

[tarxantoo]

I think you shot it and then the owl came in to eat.

[ScyberPsylock]

@Jayman5273 Not sure what institution you work for, but they taught you wrong. This is known to happen and quite rare to see a screech owl take down a hawk. the hawk looks to be a Night Hawk in looks and size which is similar, to smaller than the owl. Those owls are known to eat mice, moles, voles, and other smaller animals as well, not just worms and the such as you described. Your institution either does not exist, or they are not a known institute in the states(my expert opinion).

[MPSecare]

@lucas2718 Animals will do strange things in time of hunger. I have a book about African Grey parrots suggesting that they may scavenge in the wild, and the bare skin around their eyes is to prevent carrion from sticking to their face! And they say the great horned owl will eat red tailed hawks on occasion, I'd love to see that battle, whew.

[tcanders123]

@Dropthetwinky Great Horned owls do eat skunks, but they don't pick them up and fly away with them. Most raptors eat their prey where they kill it. We have Coopers Hawks that make kills at our feeders regularly, and they always sit on the ground or a low branch to pluck & eat the kill.

[MPSecare]

@ancientswordfighters Look up Goliath Bird Eating Terrantula 

[ancientswordfighters]

@carnivalwrestler I saw an eagle pick up a fawn that was much larger then the eagle. It ended up dropping the fawn on a telephone wire ,, crazy, those birds are very powerful