The Red-winged Blackbird and the Hawk

Small birds will often harass or attack a predator that comes near their nest. This activity is often a concerted effort of multiple small birds with is referred to as mobbing. Red-winged Blackbirds will chase a predator, sometimes they grab tail feathers or land on the predators back, as they defend their nesting location. And they do not require a mob to attack; they take on much larger predators alone when threatened. The Red-winged Blackbird below swooped in behind the hawk, approaching from behind until impacting the predator, and then flew away as the screaming hawk moved beyond the blackbird’s nesting area.