This falcon found traffic signals to attack his prey

Birds are still incredible. Crows can use tools and Keep resentment against certain people. Elsters can Recognize yourself in mirrors. And now Hawks use traffic signals to hunt prey, so A study Published in the magazine today Limits in ethology.

The story begins with Vladimir Dinets, a zoology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the author of the study and an intersection in West Orange, New Jersey, near his house. As a zoology, he has long been interested in perspective and understanding animals in urban environments and the relationship between birds to cars. Scientists have previously observed Ravens Patrol American Highways who are waiting for roadkill and songbirds to use cars to hide from predators.

Dinets were looking for these interesting interactions when the falcon of a young cooper hiked to his neighborhood and made some brilliant.

The intersection was not particularly busy, even during the rush hour, Dinets wrote in a guest editorial for Limits in ethology. But sometimes a pedestrian crossed the street and had cars stacked down the block to a small, bushy tree. The pedestrian signal “Walk” would also make a noise that pointed out that it was time to go.

One morning the falcon appeared out of the tree, flew very deep above the car, crossed the road between the cars and then dived to get something near one of the houses.

Then the same thing happened again. And again.

It turned out that the family who lived in this house near the bushy tree like to eat in the front yard. In response to this, birds – such as sparrows and pigeons – would flock there to claim the remaining crumbs.

This ensured the simple selection for the falcon, which fell into the yard to catch sparrows and pigeons. But strangely, the falcon only did so when cars along the block were set up to the tree.

Dinets finally emphasized that the car line covered for the falcon and that the HAWK had learned to recognize the sound of the pedestrian “Walk” signal. As soon as a pedestrian pressed the button, the falcon flew from wherever it was hung in the small, bushy tree. It would then wait for cars to be stacked before using the car line as a cover to sneak on the prey.

The HAWK had apparently learned to use the pedestrian signal as a keyword to go to the house with defenseless birds.

“This meant that the HAWK understood the connection between the sound and the possible length of the car on the queue,” said Dinets. The falcon apparently also had a good mental map of the neighborhood.

The HAWK (or what Dinets holds was the same falcon) returned next year and used the same strategy to hunt. After all, the family moved away and the signal no longer worked, so that Dinets have not sought super clever Hawks near his house since then.

Life is difficult for birds in cities – you have to avoid windows, weave cars and handle noise. However, this study shows at least one way that you have adapted to city life.

“I think my observations show that Coopers Hawks manage to survive and thrive there, at least partially by being very smart,” wrote Dinets.