As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday 11 September 2015

Hawks protect hummingbirds against predators

Hummingbirds have been found to nest near hawk territories as a method of defence against birds of prey

By Hana Carter, Nature notes

3:09PM BST 08 Sep 2015

Hummingbirds build their nests near hawk territory in an attempt to protect their eggs against predators, a new study has shown.

Scientists observed the black-chinned hummingbirds in their natural habitat and discovered that 80 per cent of the hummingbird nests in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona are close to northern goshhawk and Cooper's hawk nests. Hawks are still a danger to hummingbirds and their nests, but typically, the raptors prefer to eat large birds and rodents.

WIth nests measuring an average of 1.5 inches which contain eggs the size of coffee beans, hummingbirds nesting near hawks have a daily survival rate of 31 per cent, compared with 6 per cent for the birds nesting outside of hawk territory.

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