No. Just, No.

[nightdog_barks]

I can only hope Nick R. of Hawkforce was pulling the reporter's leg when he said this:

“The natural predator of these hawks is prairie dogs, which is why they don’t like them," he said. "They would not try to carry them off.”

Because otherwise I'd say he doesn't know a damn thing about hawks and probably shouldn't be handling one.

Prairie dogs, small cuddly herbivores.
Harris hawk ... not.

From the Telegraph: Harris hawks, used to control pigeons in Central London, have been attacking small dogs.

Comments

[topaz_eyes]

AHAHAHAHAHA someone can't tell his predator from his prey.

Amazing how Jack Russell terriers and miniature dachshunds are about the same size as... prairie dogs.

[nightdog_barks]

I sincerely hope he was MISQUOTED, otherwise I would take away whatever wildlife licenses he has. Oh my god, Topaz.

[topaz_eyes]

I don't think Robertson was misquoted, though. Before his special quote of WTF?, the article paraphrased:

[Robertson] insisted the birds are not trying to kill the dogs, but are in fact attacking because they are afraid.

Riiiiight. Because those evil little herbivores will launch from their underground burrows and devour those helpless meat-eating birds of prey.

Or maybe the guy thinks that "birds of prey" means the birds *are* prey. Either way, this Robertson dude fails biology forever.

[silverjackal]

Heh. At first I thought that the quote was just the wrong way about, i.e. The natural prey of these hawks is prairie dogs... but then I read the full article, and the fellow's just loony. Harris' are collective hunters, and will sometimes target prey larger than themselves. They'd certainly take a run at small dogs or cats as potential prey items. And their major predators are Common Ravens, Coyotes, Great Horned Owls, and other bird eating birds of prey. Prairie dogs indeed! How, pray tell?

[nightdog_barks]

Oh, Jackal. I mean, I can understand not wanting pet owners to panic, but it's like this guy started talking AND JUST COULDN'T STOP.

PRAIRIE DOGS. PREDATORY PRAIRIE DOGS.

[blackmare]

I can see the horror movies now: PREY ANIMAL and PREY ANIMAL 2: THE PRAIRIE ARISES

[taiga13]

Is it April Fool's Day??? I'm no bird expert but even I saw the error there.
Though the mental image of a prairie dog leaping into the air to take down a passing hawk is mildly amusing.

[nightdog_barks]

It's a veritable Monty Python sketch come to life!

brb, facepalming forever

[takes_a_fairy]

CNN Special News Bulletin:
A gang of predatory prairie dogs cited in the razing of Farmer Russels carrot garden, are now suspects in the senseless killing of their rival gang of hawks. No one else is under investigation at this time. Heh!