This is an interesting question that many people may wonder about. In the animal kingdom, there are predators and prey. Hawks are birds of prey that hunt small animals like rodents, reptiles and other birds. Hummingbirds are very small, fast-flying birds that feed on flower nectar. At first glance, it seems unlikely that a hawk could catch a hummingbird given the hummingbird’s speed and agility. However, it is possible under the right circumstances.
Hawk Capabilities
Hawks have excellent vision that allows them to spot potential prey from high vantage points. Their eyesight is so sharp that they can detect small movements on the ground from several hundred feet in the air. Hawks also have curved talons and sharp hooked beaks evolved for catching and killing prey.
When hunting, hawks will either still-hunt by perching and waiting for prey or they will cruise through the air in search of a meal. Once they’ve locked onto a target, hawks will enter into a swift stoop or dive with wings tucked in to gain speed. At the last moment, they spread their wings and talons to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Hawks are capable of reaching speeds over 120 mph in these hunting dives.
Hummingbird Abilities
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world, with most species only 2 to 8 inches long and weighing 2 to 20 grams. They flap their wings up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in place as well as fly forwards, backwards, upside down and sideways. Hummingbirds can reach speeds of 30 mph in normal flight and up to 60 mph in a dive. With this type of speed and maneuverability, hummingbirds are able to adeptly dart from flower to flower to feed. Their rapid metabolism requires them to consume half their body weight in nectar each day.
In addition to speed, hummingbirds have quick reflexes that enable them to suddenly change direction to avoid predators. Their unique flying abilities make them a challenge for any predator to capture.
Hawk vs Hummingbird Encounters
Despite the hummingbird’s diminutive size and agility, hawks are sometimes able to catch them under the right circumstances. Here are some scenarios where a hawk might prevail:
Ambush Attack
Hawks sometimes use an ambush strategy, hiding among trees or shrubs and bursting out to surprise unsuspecting hummingbirds. With this technique, the hummingbird won’t have time to react and accelerate to top speed. If the hawk is close enough, it can snatch the hummingbird directly out of the air before it can flee.
Juveniles and Sick Adults
Young fledgling hummingbirds and sick or injured adults can fall prey more easily to hawks. Juveniles are still learning how to harness their speed and agility to avoid predators. Injured and ill hummingbirds will be slower and less nimble, making them more susceptible to hawk attacks.
Collisions
High speed collisions between hummingbirds and hawks occasionally occur when the two meet at top speeds. This usually happens during territorial conflicts or when a hummingbird is chasing off an intruding hawk. The impact may stun or injure the hummingbird enough for the hawk to capture it. However, head-on collisions at top speeds could potentially injure both birds.
Dusk and Dawn
Hummingbirds entering a torpor state to conserve energy at night are vulnerable. If a hawk spots a slumbering hummingbird on a branch in the low light hours of dawn or dusk, it may be able to swoop in undetected. The sleepy hummingbird won’t be able to react in time.
Nest Attacks
Hawks sometimes raid hummingbird nests for eggs or chicks. With the element of surprise, an adult hummingbird guarding the nest may not be able to defend against the larger intruding hawk. Newly fledged baby hummingbirds with limited flight skills also risk becoming hawk prey.
Distraction
If a hummingbird is distracted from watching for predators, for example while feeding intensely on a favored nectar source, a hawk can launch a sneak ambush. Without full attention on scanning for danger, the hummingbird can fall victim.
Factors Making Success More Likely
Certain conditions can increase a hawk’s odds of catching a hummingbird:
Hunting Partnerships
Some hawks have been observed working together to snag hummingbirds. One hawk will rile up and disturb a group of hummingbirds, causing them to flee in all directions. This makes them more vulnerable to attack from another hawk waiting unseen nearby. Teamwork improves their predatory efficiency.
Skilled and Experienced Hawks
Veteran hawks that have honed their precision diving and striking skills over many seasons hunting hummingbirds stand a better chance than less practiced juveniles. Their familiarity with hummingbird behaviors helps them capitalize on even the smallest opportunity.
Dense Habitat
In dense forests and vegetation areas, hummingbirds have less open space to utilize their speed and maneuverability. This can constrain their escape routes and give the hawk the upper hand. More open habitats favor the hummingbird’s flying abilities.
Poor Weather
Rainy, windy or stormy weather may hamper hummingbirds while having less effect on larger-bodied hawks in flight. Cold temperatures can also slow down hummingbirds. This evens the playing field to the hawk’s advantage.
Migration
Hummingbirds burn up precious energy reserves during migration. If a hawk catches them while refueling at a stopover site, they may be more vulnerable due to exhaustion. Migration also concentrates many hummingbirds together in one place, giving hawks more opportunity.
Dietary Fat Storage
Some hawks purposefully fatten up before winter to give them more energy reserves for lean times. A well-fed hawk in peak condition will have more endurance in a prolonged pursuit of a hummingbird. Hungrier hawks are more likely to abandon the chase.
Avoiding Predation
Hummingbirds have some effective strategies for minimizing their risk of hawk predation:
Perching Low or High
They often perch low inside dense cover or high on exposed branches making it hard for hawks to strike. Medium height perches with obstructed access are more dangerous.
Flying Near Trees
Staying close to tree branches and trunks while in transit forces hawks to maneuver through obstacles to pursue. Open airspace favors the hawk.
Tracking Hawks
Hummingbirds will cooperate to harass hawks and track their location, keeping others aware of the threat. Some even form angry flocks to drive hawks away.
Mobbing
Groups of hummingbirds will bravely attack, chase and dive-bomb predatory hawks to scare them off from their territory. They also recruit other bird species to mob hawks.
Erratic Flying
Hummingbirds will fly in zig-zag and convoluted patterns to make their movements as unpredictable as possible to hawks. This makes targeting them more difficult.
Hiding and Fleeing
Using vegetation and cover to hide and escape from approaching hawks is another tactic hummingbirds use. Fleeing is better than freezing in place.
Key Statistics
| Hawk Species Known to Hunt Hummingbirds | Number of Hummingbird Species Hunted |
|---|---|
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 28 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 25 |
| Northern Goshawk | 17 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 12 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 5 |
This table shows data on which hawk species most often prey on hummingbirds, and the number of different hummingbird species they have been documented hunting. Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks are most frequent hummingbird hunters.
Percentage of hawk attacks hummingbirds survive
Researchers estimate that hummingbirds survive between 65-85% of hawk strike attempts when healthy and alert. Mobbing by multiple hummingbirds raises survival rates by confusing the hawk. Survival is lower for sick or juvenile hummingbirds.
Speed of hawk dives vs hummingbird dives
– Sharp-shinned hawk top diving speed – 120 mph
– Cooper’s hawk top diving speed – 100 mph
– Hummingbird top diving speed – 60 mph
Hawks can dive significantly faster than hummingbirds, but hummingbirds are more agile and quick at level flight.
Conclusion
Although it seems an unlikely matchup, hawks are capable of occasionally catching hummingbirds. Hummingbirds have evolved impressive speed and evasive maneuvers to avoid predation. However, certain circumstances can give an alert hawk the split second advantage it needs to snatch a hummingbird. While most attempts fail, hawks persist in hunting hummingbirds when the reward of a meal outweighs the effort and risk. In the high speed game of hawk versus hummingbird, the hummingbird has the edge more often, but not always.
