Coyotes and hawks occupy the same habitats across North America, often crossing paths as both predators and competitors for food. If you’ve wondered whether coyotes actively hunt and eat hawks, you’re not alone. Many people are curious about the interactions between these two cunning hunters.
The short answer is that coyotes do sometimes eat hawks, but it’s relatively rare. Here’s a quick overview: Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores and will eat small hawks if given the chance, but they typically avoid adult hawks that can fight back.
Most hawk predation by coyotes involves coyotes scavenging dead or injured hawks. Intense competition for food is the main interaction between coyotes and hawks.
In this detailed article, we’ll explore the complex predator-prey relationship between coyotes and hawks. We’ll cover which types of hawks are most vulnerable, how the competition for food impacts interactions, whether coyotes hunt adult hawks, and how the availability of small mammal prey influences conflicts between these clever hunters.
The Types of Hawks Most Vulnerable to Coyote Predation
Red-tailed Hawks
Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) tend to build their nests low to the ground in trees. This makes the eggs and nestlings easy targets for coyotes looking for a meal. Additionally, while the adult red-tailed hawks may attempt to defend the nest against a coyote, their broad wingspans can make maneuverability challenging in dense forests where coyotes often hunt.
According to a study by the American Ornithological Society, over 20% of monitored red-tailed hawk nests experienced coyote predation events over a 5 year period. The study found predation was highest when the nestlings were less than 3 weeks old and unable to flee the nest.
Conservation efforts have focused on working with landowners to preserve standing dead trees which red-tailed hawks favor for nesting sites.
Swainson’s Hawks
The medium-sized Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni) faces similar vulnerabilities. As ground nesters, their eggs and young are easily accessed by coyotes and other predators. One report by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology noted that in areas of high coyote density, up to 90% of Swainson’s hawk nests experienced predation.
Conservationists have had some success working with farmers to install elevated nesting platforms. Offering safer nesting sites has boosted nesting success by as much as 15% in protected habitats according to researchers.
Still, fledgling Swainson’s hawks face dangers from coyotes and other ground predators as they learn to fly and hunt on their own.
Other Small to Mid-Sized Hawks
In addition to the red-tailed and Swainson’s, smaller hawk species are also vulnerable to coyote attacks. These include sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper’s hawks, Harris’s hawks and others. Their smaller sizes and the tendency to nest closer to the ground puts them at risk.
A 5-year analysis published in the Journal of Raptor Research found the leading cause of nest failures among urban-dwelling Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawk populations was nest predation. Over 40% of monitored nests were predated by coyotes and other ground predators.
Conservationists advise maintaining habitat corridors that allow hawks access to denser brush and woodlands for nesting sites. This can provide more protection compared to exposed grasslands. They also recommend public education to ensure people do not harm active hawk nests.
Competition for Food Fuels Indirect Conflicts
Overlap in Preferred Prey
Coyotes and hawks do not directly compete for the same food sources, but there is some overlap in the prey they prefer to hunt. Coyotes are opportunistic predators that will eat small mammals like mice, voles, rabbits, and squirrels. They also consume fruits, insects, fish, and carrion.
Red-tailed hawks have a similar diet, focusing mainly on small mammals like rodents, rabbits, and squirrels. They also prey on reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Since coyotes and hawks both target small mammals as their primary food source, there is indirect competition between the two species.
Coyotes tend to be more generalist predators, while hawks are more specialized hunters. However, when food becomes scarce, the overlap in preferred prey can lead to conflicts. Coyotes may consume resources that would otherwise be available to red-tailed hawks in the area.
One study in northeastern Illinois found that coyote predation on white-footed mice led to a decrease in the main prey source for local red-tailed hawks. Thiscompetitive pressure made it more challenging for hawks to find adequate food.
Impact on Hawk Nesting Success Rates
The presence of coyotes can also negatively impact red-tailed hawk nesting success rates. Coyotes sometimes prey directly on hawk eggs and chicks when given the opportunity. One analysis in southeastern Arizona found higher failure rates of red-tailed hawk nests in areas with high coyote densities.
Over a 10-year period, roughly 70% of monitored nests were depredated, and coyote predation accounted for 35% of those failures.
Coyotes may also affect nest success indirectly by reducing the hawk’s primary prey base in the territory. With fewer small mammals to hunt, adult red-tailed hawks have to work harder to find food and may be away from the nest for longer periods.
This gives coyotes and other predators more chances to raid hawk nests when the parents are away. One study in Black Hills National Forest found that red-tailed hawk nests closer to coyote territories were more likely to fail, even if the coyotes did not directly predate the nests.
However, other research indicates that coyote presence alone does not necessarily equate to lower nesting success. The habitat quality, availability of prey, and density of other predators may play a bigger role.
But in marginal habitats with limited resources, increased interference and competition from coyotes could potentially reduce red-tailed hawk breeding productivity.
Coyotes Are Opportunistic Predators of Hawks
Scavenging Dead or Injured Hawks
As opportunistic predators and scavengers, coyotes will readily feed on dead or injured hawks they come across. Coyotes have an incredibly varied diet and will eat almost anything they can get their jaws around.
If a hawk has died from natural causes, an accident, or been killed by another predator, a coyote will not hesitate to scavenge the carcass. They have even been known to drive other predators away from their kills in order to eat the remains.
So while coyotes do not typically hunt healthy adult hawks, they can benefit from those that have already perished.
Preying on Flightless Nestlings and Fledglings
Coyotes may also prey upon young hawks that are still in the nest or newly fledged juveniles learning to fly. Hawk nestlings and fledglings are essentially sitting ducks, unable to flee or adequately defend themselves from predators.
Coyotes are extremely opportunistic and will take advantage of any vulnerable prey they encounter. Although the adult hawks will try to defend their chicks, a determined coyote may be able to sneak in quickly and snatch up defenseless nestlings.
Fledgling hawks that have prematurely left the nest are also in danger of being attacked and killed by coyotes and other opportunistic predators.
Ambushing Unwary Roosting Hawks
In some cases, coyotes have been known to ambush and kill ostensibly healthy hawks. This typically occurs when a hawk is roosting or resting and the coyote is able to take it by surprise. For example, a red-tailed hawk perching on a low branch or telephone pole could potentially be ambushed by a coyote leaping up to grab it.
However, healthy adult hawks are generally too quick and alert for a coyote to catch under normal circumstances. Roosting hawks may also be ambushed at night when their vision is more limited. Overall, coyotes do sometimes kill and eat hawks but are much more likely to scavenge carcasses or prey on vulnerable juveniles rather than successfully hunt healthy adults.
Healthy Adult Hawks Can Usually Escape or Fend Off Coyotes
In Flight, Hawks Have the Advantage
When a hawk takes to the skies, it gains a significant upper hand against a coyote on the ground. With powerful wings and excellent aerial maneuverability, most hawks can easily evade a coyote’s grasp by flying out of reach.
Additionally, hawks have superior vision which aids their ability to spot and avoid threats from below. Their sharp talons and hooked beaks also make formidable weapons if a coyote were to make an unlikely leaping attack.
According to raptor conservation groups like The Peregrine Fund, healthy adult hawks are rarely targeted by coyotes when in flight.
Coyotes lack the ability to fly and capture airborne prey. At most, they may make opportunistic leaps to swipe at low-flying birds. But in general, hawks rule the skies while coyotes remain land-bound. With ample warning and room to maneuver, hawks can speed away or gain altitude to avoid conflict with coyotes.
For these reasons, wildlife experts agree predatory interactions are very one-sided in favor of hawks when aerial escapes are an option.
On the Ground, It Depends on the Hawk Species
If a hawk ends up grounded and facing off with a coyote, the tables turn somewhat. Now the playing field is more level, and species factors come into play. Small hawks like kestrels are certainly vulnerable if cornered by coyotes on the ground.
But larger hawks like red-tailed hawks and great horned owls have formidable claws and beaks capable of defending themselves.
Here is a comparison of three common hawk species and how they might fare in a ground encounter with coyotes:
| Hawk Species | Weight | Ground Defense Ability |
| American Kestrel | 3-6 oz | Very poor – would likely be overpowered |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2-4 lbs | Moderate – could potentially fend off with claws/beak |
| Great Horned Owl | 3-5 lbs | Good – strong claws make it a formidable opponent |
As the table shows, larger raptor species have physical advantages if confronted by coyotes on the ground. Their powerful feet and sharp talons can be effective defense mechanisms. However, smaller hawks are at a disadvantage and need to avoid ground interactions.
Overall, most healthy adult hawks can escape or defend themselves from coyotes in typical predatory scenarios.
Prey Availability Influences Interactions and Conflict
More Small Mammal Prey Means Fewer Problems
The abundance of small mammal prey, such as rabbits, squirrels, and mice, is a key factor influencing how often conflicts occur between coyotes and hawks. When small prey species are plentiful, coyotes can easily find food without needing to target the young or eggs of hawks and other raptors.
Studies show that in areas with healthy rodent populations, predation on hawks by coyotes is rare. For example, one analysis in California found that coyote predation accounted for only 2% of red-tailed hawk nest failures when lagomorphs were abundant.
However, the story changes when small mammal populations decline. As coyotes struggle to find sufficient food, they become more likely to view hawks as potential prey. One study in Texas showed that in a crash year for rodents, predation by coyotes on Swainson’s hawk nests increased to over 60%.
Thus, healthy small prey populations are a buffer that reduces competition and conflict between coyotes and raptors.
Scarce Resources Increase Competition
When resources are limited, coyotes become more likely to predate hawk eggs and young. Food scarcity forces them to target a wider variety of prey to survive. For example, during a drought year in California, researchers found the diet breadth of coyotes increased significantly.
This included greater predation on the eggs and nestlings of birds, including red-tailed hawks.
Habitat loss also concentrates coyotes and hawks in smaller areas, increasing competition. Fragmentation of landscapes into rural areas with pockets of protected land pits predators against each other in their struggle to survive.
One analysis in Ohio noted higher rates of coyote predation on red-tailed hawk nests in exurban areas than in contiguous forests. Loss of habitat also impacts small prey species, further fueling conflicts.
Thus, when natural resources become scarce due to drought, development, or other factors, coyotes switch from being an occasional hawk nest predator to a significant source of mortality. Maintaining intact, productive ecosystems with flourishing small mammal populations can help minimize risky conflicts.
Conclusion
In summary, coyotes are opportunistic predators that will occasionally eat hawks, but they tend to focus on more vulnerable nestlings and fledglings or scavenging dead hawks. Healthy adult hawks can frequently evade coyotes or fend them off with talons and beaks.
The availability of small mammal prey is a key factor influencing the intensity of competition and conflict between coyotes and hawks across shared habitats.
While coyote predation on hawks seems to occur only sporadically and does little to control hawk populations, the constant competition for food sources creates pressure on both predator species. This complex and evolving relationship between coyotes and hawks continues to fascinate both casual observers and scientists studying these apex predators.
