01-23-2021, 12:19 AM
|
#73711 (permalink)
|
|
Account Disabled
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 4,403
|
Quote:
The technique and the time it takes to kill prey varies greatly depending on the type of raptor and the size of the prey.
Hawks and other members of the Accipitridae family, (eagles, harriers, kites), use their talons to catch and subdue struggling prey, rather than to kill it quickly.
They'll sometimes squeeze the animal to the point of suffocation if it's small enough; but with bigger prey (like your rabbit) they land on top of it and stay on top of it until they've got it under control to avoid injuries or escape. They use their beaks to pluck fur or feathers from the animal, causing further trauma. Once they've done this, they'll begin to eat it while it's, however briefly, still alive.
The hawk in your yard was probably just starting the process of subduing the rabbit when you startled it.
Hawks have huge talons on their first and second toes. They use them to tear prey open while it holds on with the other shorter talons.
|
https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-...er-catching-it
|
|
|