Working Birds Work Together

Harris’s hawk in flight, falconer’s bird in Malta (photo from Wikimedia) 10 September 2026 Most raptors are solo hunters though mated pairs of peregrines, aplomado falcons and golden eagles will sometimes hunt cooperatively when there are young in the nest. But even this is rare. Harris’s hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi) are the exception. Native from the American Southwest to western Peru, they hunt together in family groups organized like a wolf pack. A dominance hierarchy occurs in Harris’s hawks, wherein the mature female is the dominant bird, followed by the adult male and then the young of previous years. Groups typically include from two to seven birds. Not only do birds cooperate in hunting, but they also assist in the nesting process. No other bird of prey is known to hunt in groups as routinely as this species. — Wikipedia: Harris’s Hawk Behavior If you’re near a family’s territory you’ll see them work together. (Fair warning: video shows them catching a rabbit +…