Blakeman clarifies: Eagle vs. Redtails

Bald Eagle with Striped Bass over Central Park - 12/27/06
Photo by Lincoln Karim

Marie,

Let me clarify.

Red-tails definitely will fly up and confront a bald eagle (or any other raptor) that ventures into the hawk's defended territory. I wasn't so clear in my earlier posting that my hawk was cowering in retreat when a local bald eagle ventured into the hawk's remote hunting territory, not its nesting territory.

It works like this. If the hawk finds itself out in the field, away from the nesting area and has the perception that it might be in the eagle's nesting or hunting area, the smaller hawk will make every attempt to retreat or hide, not wishing to be confronted by the big eagle which has territorial dominance. That's the case when a bald eagle flies into our cottontail rabbit hunting area. When hunting, Savanna, my six-year old falconry red-tail, decidedly wishes to retreat or hide from an eagle passing nearby. Savanna perceives -- accurately -- that in her hunting she has ventured out into "eagle space" and could be lethally attacked.

But things are different when an eagle ventures into "hawk space," into the region around a nest, as much as a mile's radius or more out in rural areas. In this case, the hawk will boldly fly out to let an approaching eagle know that it's intruding and ought to high-tail itself out of the space. The smaller hawk is actually more maneuverable than the giant eagle, so when motivated, it can fly circles around the big bird (just as blackbirds and crows can do with red-tails).

If the resident hawk perceives that a passing eagle is entirely in transit, just passing through, as was the case with the Central Park eagle with the fish, it will often stay perched and allow the eagle to pass on through the hawk's territory unchallenged. But, if the eagle were to wheel around and claim some local air space, or take a nearby perch, it would be directly challenged in winter and spring, when nesting territories are more firmly defended.

If the hawk sees the eagle passing well over head, it will never be challenged. Red-tails defend a wide (but variable) radius of territory extending out from the nest, but only a few hundred feet of elevation. Intruders passing high enough over head almost always to unchallenged. The resident hawks know that other elevated hawks or eagles pose no territorial threat.

I hope that clears up the "Hawk Challenges an Eagle" question.

--John Blakeman