Alarm Call?

After having a rainy night, this morning stopped and dried a bit. This allowed me  an opportunity to shoot some pictures. (Some of those pictures you’ll be able to see below). As in most rainy days the sky was gray and dark but I ran into a bit of luck a because the sky brightened nicely and I saw a lot of birds coming out to eat to the feeders and that was the break I wanted for my shooting pictures. Not long after I heard a loud raucous of what it seemed several crows, perhaps fighting? I couldn’t see them from where I was. I stretched myself to see and then I saw a Cooper’s Hawk circling in the air about 75 yards from my backyard. I noticed that all the birds that were feeding had flown toward the trees and bushes to hide. I think that the alarm call of the crows warned all birds about the Hawk is in the prowl. That’s quite interesting!

Have a prosperous and happy New Year!

Field Sparrow

Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101

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14 thoughts on “Alarm Call?”

  2. Love those Field Sparrows. As for the crows, I can assure you they are the best way to find raptors that might otherwise be hidden (hawks, owls, you name it) – crows mob them on principle. I hesitate to think it’s for the benefit of other birds, though. It’s pretty much in their own interest to keep predators or competitors away… 🙂

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  3. Beautiful Sparrow!. I love to see how species interact and benefit from each other. A mother goat friend of mine stood guard on a high spot in the farm, with her young daughters playing around. A crow called a distress alarm. She shifted and followed with her gaze at the flying bird across a vast stretch. She sniffed the air and stood motionless. In the land of coyotes and walking dogs, she knew there was someone nearby. We keep them safe in a well-fenced area –still the smell of danger was there brough by a crow.

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