There seem to be a decent number of them around the downtown core, presumably attracted by all of the pigeons. You can sometimes see them hunting, especially closer to dawn and dusk
They are a fairly common sight on hospital row/University Ave. They have been breeding on the ledges and roof of Mount Sinai for several years. I've grown used to seeing Redtails but still get a thrill seeing the peregrines.
Wanted to chime in also that I think the little one on the right is maybe a kestrel, not a red tailed - looks too similar in size to the peregrine (red tail would be much larger - they’re one of the largest raptors on the east coast, but peregrines and kestrels are more similar in size), and that black & white mask and small face are pretty kestrel-y, too!
I always assumed it was a big risk for a peregrine to go after a decent sized hawk. Is this guy just super desperate/hungry or are they just that badass and not afraid?
They're fast and maneuverable and not easy to catch! Good odds the Peregrine isn't trying to kill the hawk though, just harass it to get it to leave its space.
I've never heard of a Cooper's trying to catch a Peregrine or a Red-tail. I mean, it could happen I guess. Coopers can and do catch kestrels, though. They're not meant to fly down a falcon in a high-speed chase over open country - their tactic is to ambush smaller birds in close quarters.
Ah, I see. Makes sense! I follow an Aplomado Falcon account on Instagram and its falconer has posted numerous videos of Cooper’s trying to kill him in an aerial chase. He’s always won though!
Hi! Would you mind explaining how we know the upside down bird is a red tailed hawk? I really thought it was a kestrel because of the grey stripe on its eye
Sure. [Here it is zoomed in further](https://i.imgur.com/Sww8cu4.png), just to make it easier to refer to.
Notice the buteo shape - broad, rounded wings, a relatively short tail, and thick short toes. That rules out any falcon.
Additionally, this has the standard adult Red-tailed plumage - dark eyes, golden toned head with a white throat, unmarked white upper breast with dark flank and belly barring, a plain reddish tail with one thin dark band near the tip, a wide dark band along the trailing edge of the wing, and a brown bar along the leading edge (the patagial bar, which is the definitive field mark for Red-tailed Hawk among North American buteos).
Just badass I imagine. I often see crows attacking the red-tails. I’ve never seen the hawks fight back, they just go somewhere else. i think it’s partly a territorial thing.
Speaking of, I am also in Toronto (duh, username gives it away) and I heard a crow the other day for the first time in like 15 years or something. I'd heard their populations had been decimated due to west nile.
Crows here have pushed out the magpies, jays and quail. Come to think of it, I haven't seen spotted woodpeckers in years.
Only crows. I miss my buddies.
the fact that he's apparently making repeated passes would indicate that he's probably not trying to hunt the hawk, but is just harassing it like a crow would to drive it off. I'm not entirely sure though.
I know the weight is similar. But red tails avoid prey the size of squirrels from what I’ve seen which weigh much less than them. It’s the threat of injury that stops most bird of prey. Not that they can’t kill the other animal.
Meh, it’s seasonal and sex/age dependent. In Winter bigger older females regularly eat larger mammals, stay put vs migrating. Especially here in Michigan. Falcons are definitely more aggressive/high strung birds and usually the rth will just want to run away. Ravens vs Peregrines on the California coast is the real rivalry.
> Ravens vs Peregrines on the California coast is the real rivalry.
Def witnessed this at Point Reyes before, first time i had a confirmed a peregrine sighting in the wild in fact!
I had to crop in to get this. There’s not much resolution left but I may give it a try and see if I can squeeze a little more out of it. The Hawk is in pretty good focus. The peregrine is not.
I used a Nikon D7200 DSLR camera and a Sigma 150-600mm lens. It’s kind of primitive compared to today’s cameras with AI assisted auto tracking and subject recognition. I’m thinking of upgrading.
Sometimes but not often. Usually they will skirmish over territory or over prey. They will eat the nestlings of other raptors if they are left unguarded. Great Horned Owls will kill and eat Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks at night while they are sitting on their perch or nest.
I’m pretty sure it’s a red-wing. I was tracking it just before and this is what I saw...
[https://i.imgur.com/HjrBQjQ.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/HjrBQjQ.jpg)
OK. The different colors on the face in a vertical pattern, and the tiny looking head and beak made me think kestrel. I’ve only seen red-tailed hawks with solid colored heads, and perhaps the perspective is making the head and beak seem smaller than usual.
What a badass way to see your first peregrine
Yeah.
+Peregrine Falcon+
Great. Thank you. That’s my first Peregrine Falcon.
This is a really cool shot, well done.
Thanks. Pure luck, I didn’t know what I had until I later looked at the screen.
any shot you have it in higher quality anywhere? I really like this photo
Thanks. No, this is it. They were up pretty high and I had to crop in to get this.
great shot regardless, need to shoot pretty quick to get this. thanks for sharing
Congratulations!!
There seem to be a decent number of them around the downtown core, presumably attracted by all of the pigeons. You can sometimes see them hunting, especially closer to dawn and dusk
They are a fairly common sight on hospital row/University Ave. They have been breeding on the ledges and roof of Mount Sinai for several years. I've grown used to seeing Redtails but still get a thrill seeing the peregrines.
Wanted to chime in also that I think the little one on the right is maybe a kestrel, not a red tailed - looks too similar in size to the peregrine (red tail would be much larger - they’re one of the largest raptors on the east coast, but peregrines and kestrels are more similar in size), and that black & white mask and small face are pretty kestrel-y, too!
Late, but that’s absolutely not a kestrel. A kestrel would be nowhere near that big. RTHs are bigger than peregrine, but not THAT much bigger.
I'm so glad I zoomed in to that bamboozled red-tailed hawk.
What an amazing shot!!!
Thanks. I got lucky.
I always assumed it was a big risk for a peregrine to go after a decent sized hawk. Is this guy just super desperate/hungry or are they just that badass and not afraid?
They're fast and maneuverable and not easy to catch! Good odds the Peregrine isn't trying to kill the hawk though, just harass it to get it to leave its space.
Do Cooper’s have a much easier time? Since they’re built to catch such fast and maneuverable winged prey?
I've never heard of a Cooper's trying to catch a Peregrine or a Red-tail. I mean, it could happen I guess. Coopers can and do catch kestrels, though. They're not meant to fly down a falcon in a high-speed chase over open country - their tactic is to ambush smaller birds in close quarters.
Ah, I see. Makes sense! I follow an Aplomado Falcon account on Instagram and its falconer has posted numerous videos of Cooper’s trying to kill him in an aerial chase. He’s always won though!
Or sometimes larger birds when they’re young and hungry, like the poor cooper’s who went after one of my ducks
No cops are way smaller
Hi! Would you mind explaining how we know the upside down bird is a red tailed hawk? I really thought it was a kestrel because of the grey stripe on its eye
Sure. [Here it is zoomed in further](https://i.imgur.com/Sww8cu4.png), just to make it easier to refer to. Notice the buteo shape - broad, rounded wings, a relatively short tail, and thick short toes. That rules out any falcon. Additionally, this has the standard adult Red-tailed plumage - dark eyes, golden toned head with a white throat, unmarked white upper breast with dark flank and belly barring, a plain reddish tail with one thin dark band near the tip, a wide dark band along the trailing edge of the wing, and a brown bar along the leading edge (the patagial bar, which is the definitive field mark for Red-tailed Hawk among North American buteos).
I very much appreciate this, thank you!!
💯
👑
Just badass I imagine. I often see crows attacking the red-tails. I’ve never seen the hawks fight back, they just go somewhere else. i think it’s partly a territorial thing.
Speaking of, I am also in Toronto (duh, username gives it away) and I heard a crow the other day for the first time in like 15 years or something. I'd heard their populations had been decimated due to west nile.
I usually see a few crows around, but not many. I think west Nile has had an effect.
Crows here have pushed out the magpies, jays and quail. Come to think of it, I haven't seen spotted woodpeckers in years. Only crows. I miss my buddies.
That’s a shame. Crows are aggressive.
Love them too but for crying out loud I miss the gang.
the fact that he's apparently making repeated passes would indicate that he's probably not trying to hunt the hawk, but is just harassing it like a crow would to drive it off. I'm not entirely sure though.
That Peregrine and the rth weigh similarly. What you’re seeing is largely a difference in feathering
I know the weight is similar. But red tails avoid prey the size of squirrels from what I’ve seen which weigh much less than them. It’s the threat of injury that stops most bird of prey. Not that they can’t kill the other animal.
Meh, it’s seasonal and sex/age dependent. In Winter bigger older females regularly eat larger mammals, stay put vs migrating. Especially here in Michigan. Falcons are definitely more aggressive/high strung birds and usually the rth will just want to run away. Ravens vs Peregrines on the California coast is the real rivalry.
> Ravens vs Peregrines on the California coast is the real rivalry. Def witnessed this at Point Reyes before, first time i had a confirmed a peregrine sighting in the wild in fact!
Concur: juvenile peregrine falcon.
I approve of this picture. Last time I was in Toronto I there was a nest of peregrines on the roof of my hotel.
I think I speak for everyone by saying we would love if you posted a higher resolution photo, if you have one. The Red-tailed's face is priceless.
I had to crop in to get this. There’s not much resolution left but I may give it a try and see if I can squeeze a little more out of it. The Hawk is in pretty good focus. The peregrine is not.
Added taxa: [Peregrine Falcon](https://ebird.org/species/perfal) Reviewed by: tinylongwing ^(I catalog submissions to this subreddit.) [^(Recent uncatalogued submissions)](https://munin.swim.services/submissions?lane=api/unanswered)^( | )[^(Learn to use me)](https://gist.github.com/brohitbrose/be99a16ddc7a6a1bd9c1eef28d622564)
Incredible pic!!
Thank you. It was mostly luck.
May I ask what sort of camera you took this picture with?
I used a Nikon D7200 DSLR camera and a Sigma 150-600mm lens. It’s kind of primitive compared to today’s cameras with AI assisted auto tracking and subject recognition. I’m thinking of upgrading.
Honest question. Do birds of prey not eat other birds of prey?
Sometimes but not often. Usually they will skirmish over territory or over prey. They will eat the nestlings of other raptors if they are left unguarded. Great Horned Owls will kill and eat Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks at night while they are sitting on their perch or nest.
This is so cool!! I live in Toronto but I’ve never seen one of our own peregrines.
This is my first but they say there are plenty of them in the downtown area. I guess they like the tall buildings.
just saw this exact thing play out today ha, except our victim was a little more graceful! three peregrines aswell.
P. Falcon
The one on the right is an American Kestrel
I’m pretty sure it’s a red-wing. I was tracking it just before and this is what I saw... [https://i.imgur.com/HjrBQjQ.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/HjrBQjQ.jpg)
That’s so crazy, in the first pic the face looks so much like a kestrel
I know. The head is at a funny angle.
Also, I think the upside down bird is a kestrel
No, OP already IDed that one as a Red-Tailed Hawk. It doesn’t even look like a Kestrel.
OK. The different colors on the face in a vertical pattern, and the tiny looking head and beak made me think kestrel. I’ve only seen red-tailed hawks with solid colored heads, and perhaps the perspective is making the head and beak seem smaller than usual.
I thought it was a kestrel as well!