The Hawk and the Sparrow

I took these pictures 40 minutes apart and in somewhat different areas, so these individuals many have never met (which would be fortunate for one of them).

First, here's a picture of one of our most commonly seen large birds, a Red-tailed Hawk.
July 25, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 148652475, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

And following that, I spotted one of our most commonly seen sparrows, a Song Sparrow.

July 25, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 148652819, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

There's no chance of these guys being friends, though the Red-tail probably does like Song Sparrows as a side order. My impression is that Red-tails aren't maneuverable enough to rely on catching passerines (and similarly-sized birds like woodpeckers and pigeons), though if they can get the drop on an unwary one they won't hesitate to do so. I'd expect the Red-tail to have more hunting success with rabbits, rodents, and maybe some snakes or turtles.

In its own way, the Song Sparrow is also a fierce, terrifying predator ... if you're among the weevils, leaf beetles, ground beetles, caterpillars, dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, midges, craneflies, spiders, snails, and earthworms. 

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