In November 2021, zoologist Vladimir Dinets observed a young Cooper's hawk in West Orange, New Jersey, uniquely using a pedestrian signal to enhance its hunting strategy. By taking advantage of the traffic caused by the signal, the hawk was able to launch surprise attacks on unsuspecting birds gathered near residential yards. This behavior indicates a level of intelligence, as the hawk had to mentally map the area and understand the timing of the signal to optimize its hunting success. Dinets suggests this method reflects a deeper comprehension of human-made cues by the bird.
The hawk had masterminded a strategy, Dinets told me: To pull off the attacks, the bird had to create a mental map of the neighborhood.
The crossing signal—a loud, rhythmic click audible from at least half a block away—was more of a pre-attack cue, or so the hawk had realized.
The bird would swoop down from its perch in a nearby tree, fly low to the ground along the line of vehicles, then veer abruptly.
The hawk appears to have learned to interpret a traffic signal and take advantage of it, in its quest to hunt.
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