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You didn’t mention the species of songbird, but I
suspect they were kingbirds - we have both eastern and
western here. They can out-fly most hawks if not caught
by surprise. Kingbirds will actually land on a
red-tail's back and tear out feathers, hence their
names, the tyrant flycatchers.
Kingbirds
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Eastern Kingbird |
Kingbirds get their name because they aggressively
protect their territory. They will attack larger birds,
even crows and hawks, that dare to venture too near its
nest. Kingbirds are members of the family Tyrannidae,
which is taken from the Greek word tyrannas, meaning
"lord or ruler".
Insects are the kingbirds main diet. When hunting, a
kingbird sits on a perch while waiting for an insect to
approach. He then darts out and snatches the insect out
of the air with its beak and either eats it in the air
or returns to his perch for the meal. Kingbirds have
bristle feathers at the corners of the mouth that may
help them funnel the insects into their mouth. Bristle
feathers are very stiff with only a few barbs found at
the base.
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