By Linda Fine Hunt
Thirty-five years ago, my three-year-old daughter gave me the idea for this article: birds and the food chain. We watched the film Bambi. I prepared myself for her tears when the hunter shoots and kills Bambi’s mother. Instead, I cried. My daughter turned to me and said, “Mom, don’t cry. It’s part of the food chain.” She was right.
My backyard attracts birds of prey, including Cooper’s Hawks, Blue Jays, Magpies, Steller’s Jays, and Crows. I admire these predators for their intelligence. I admit I chased Crows away from a Robin’s nest. It was futile; I found turquoise eggshells in my yard. Last year, it was the Cooper’s Hawks that invaded and killed the Robin chicks.
I write about predators because someone told me she was going to kill a Magpie with a BB gun because it pooped on her deck and killed Hummingbirds. Pooping on a deck and being a bird of prey cannot be a death sentence for a bird. It defies ecological purpose. Hummingbirds can be aggressive and can fend off large hawks and other birds, including Magpies, from their territories.
Predators and scavengers are much more beneficial to humans than commonly believed. Predators and scavengers significantly reduce waste in and around human habitation, helping with waste control costs and lowering disease risk. Here are some Montana predators that I appreciate.
The Great Horned Owl is the most widespread owl species in Montana, and it is my favorite. This species has followed me to every home I have lived in, and its hoots provide peace at night. You’ll recognize this bird by its mottled grey-brown body, reddish face, and yellow eyes. Its horns aren’t actual horns; instead, they’re ear-like tufts of feathers that make the already-fierce predator look even more intimidating. This owl has a death grip and is known to prey on animals larger than itself, including powerful raptors such as Osprey and Prairie Falcons. It also feeds on skunks that other owls won’t eat because of their strong smell.
Sharp-shinned Hawks are notorious for ambushing congregations of songbirds at backyard bird feeders. Cooper’s Hawks are medium-sized accipiters that resemble Sharp-shinned Hawks with slightly larger heads, longer tails, and more slender frames. Both birds have grayish upper parts and pale undersides with rufous barring and red-orange eyes (in adults). A close examination of these hawks’ tails shows that the tips of Cooper’s Hawks’ tails are rounded, whereas Sharp-shinned Hawks are square. As accipiters, both hawks rely on smaller birds as a large part of their diet. Typical prey for Cooper’s Hawks include Blue Jays, Starlings, and Robins, in addition to rodents, reptiles, and other small animals. Like Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and their relative, the Northern Goshawks, are secretive and elusive.
I include the Peregrine Falcon, even though this bird is a mostly migratory visitor to Montana, because it feeds almost exclusively on other birds. Research documents the Peregrine Falcon eating over 450 different species in North America and 2,000 worldwide. I excluded Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, and Golden Eagle because they primarily eat mammals and fish. However, they will eat birds killed on our roads.
We need natural bird predators (not invasive cats) for pest control and disease prevention. I know it is difficult to see a bird attack another bird. Simply, as my daughter educated me, it’s the food chain.