Danger downtown (Waterbury CT)

[Donna]

Actually, my home city of Waterbury is quite safe by urban standards. Unless you’re a pigeon, a starling or a House Sparrow. Hawks have discovered the bounty available in city settings, not just in Connecticut but around North America. Waterbury now supports a fine crop of raptors each winter, primarily Accipiters in search of birds. In my Sunday newspaper column I wrote about an immature Cooper’s Hawk that’s taken up residence in the heart of downtown, not surprisingly near a bird feeder set up near a law office. Paralegal Laura Johnson got the accompanying photo of the thriving Cooper’s Hawk, which was also noted and photographed by Kenny Curran, who lives in the area. Cooper’s Hawks, and their smaller and very similar relative the Sharp-shinned Hawk, are scattered around the city in winter. They aren’t alone. A Peregrine Falcon is often seen perched on billboards along Interstate 84, usually near the “mixmaster,â€� and Merlins  show up occasionally. Both are also bird-eaters. Red-tailed Hawks and the occasional Red-shouldered Hawk prefer rodents. One winter a Red-tailed Hawk took up residence around the Green and proved a source of excitement at the city bus stops there.

[valhalla]

What a beauty!