AN AERIAL CONTEST. Desperate Encounter Between a Chicken Hawk and Sparrows.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 210, 9 July 1887, Page 7

AN AERIAL CONTEST. Desperate Encounter Between a Chicken Hawk and Sparrows.

A KKPiiESBXTATiVE of the " Banner " was a witness to a most extraordinary mid-air battle between a lai-ge-sized chicken hawk and a score of English sparrows recently. While walking along (iambier-street, in front of the residence of Mr C. C. Cooper, the reporter had his attention attracted by an unusual commotion among the sparrows* who were massed in the top of a pine tree. Suddenly a chicken hawk spread its wings and rose from the ground. As it did so the combative sparrows made a general attack upon the despoiler of poultry-yards, and so fierce was the onslaught that the bird of prey was beaten to the earth, leaving the air filled w ith Hying f eo thers. The screechint>- of the hawk and the wild twittering of the sparrows added to the excitement of the contest. A second time the haw.k essayed to escape, but again was attacked and driven back. At this moment the hawk appeared to have its attention, attracted to the presence of the newspaper man, and made a bold dash for liberty. It rose about four feet in the air and flew toward the residence of Mrs W. B. Russell, hotly pursued by the sparrows. In a second there was a crash of glass and a commotion, followed in the room where Mrs Russell was at dinner. Both the ladies were somewhat frightened by the breaking of the window-pane and sudden advent of the huge bird, which fluttered across the room and sank to the floor beneath a chair. The reporter, by this time thoroughly interested in the episode, made his appearance at the door, and being admitted, captured the bird, of prey. His sympathies being with the naturalised representatives of the feathered tribe, he deliberately, and with malice aforethought, seized the hawk, and ffoino* into the yard, wrung its neck irom the Wy, and thus rendered it hors de combat. .... The birds seemed to realise the situation, for one cock-sparrow, bolder than the rest, alighted upon the ground, cautiously hoppino- about the dead hawk, and after necking it with his bill, flew off to join its I companions, and no doubt a jubilee was I held in honour of the vanquishing of then* foe. . „. , , A subsequent examination of the hawfc sho-ved that it was a cripple, the right leg having been broken midwoy between the joint land the talon. The wound was an old one, the dismembered portion hanging by a dried tendon. The probabilities are that his hawkship had been caught in a steel trap while onoroaching upon barnyard.