ML323074101
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult, Unknown sex - 1
- Sounds
- Call
- Playback
- Playback not used
Media notes
Red-shouldered Hawk mimicry, with mimicry of another species (likely European Starling) preceding & following
Observation details
Doing loud Red-shouldered Hawk mimicry in tree above feeder, with some other call imitation (possibly European Starling) interjected several times. Photographed while vocalizing. This behavior has been heard and observed numerous times in the yard near the feeder station, with RSHA imitations the most heard, but also clear examples of Broad-winged and occasional Cooper's, sometimes in the same call sequences. Its purpose generally seems to be to rattle or distract the feeder birds & squirrels, although it never seems entirely effective at driving them off. However it does tend to irritate other species from chickadees to crows, as heard in the audio. I'm uncertain if it's just one talented Jay that's been doing all the mimicry over the past year or so, but I've never heard more than one doing imitations at the same time. OTHER RECORDINGS of Blue Jay hawk mimicry at the same spot: https://ebird.org/atlasme/checklist/S83702848 (3-19-21): https://ebird.org/checklist/S69850124 (5-28-20)
Additional species
Technical information
- Recorder
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 2.76 MB