Hawks are bada** as hell.
There are only few steps above hawks in the category of bada** avian predators. Pterodactyls and dragons come to mind, but since they're not really so common, hawks are about as bada** as the skies over New York City will get, unless an albatross or an eagle shows up.
Recently, some New Yorkers gawked at a hawk that trounced a pigeon above a Manhattan sidewalk. But now the tables have turned, as some people seem to be unknowingly endangering our native hawks.
Two red-tailed hawks recently attacked a drone flying illegally over Prospect Park in Brooklyn. They're fearlessly taking on flying robots.
Yes, the day has come. Hawks are more bada** than humans.
Witness, and three-year president of the Brooklyn Bird Club, Rob Bate, said he watched two hawks set upon a drone flying illegally in the park, over the Nethermead, or the giant meadow in the middle of the park.
According to Bate, the hawks were "really upset."
[anad]
The birds had apparently taken the drone as "a competitive predator, like another hawk, that's coming into their territory." Because they'd observed the drone not fleeing, the hawks pursued it.
Soon after, the drone's pilots realized what was happening and landed their craft before any harm could come to the birds.
According to the Prospect Park Alliance, it's illegal to fly any unmanned aircraft in New York City's parks except for Calvert Vaux Park and Marine Park.
Photo by Rob Bate / via DNA Info
While drones are fun to operate and can provide some amazing bird's-eye perspectives of the City, it would seem the most rational place to launch a drone would be a giant meadow in an outer borough park. Note well, New Yorkers: all Hitchcock jokes aside, birds can attack drones.
Not only can the birds hurt themselves in the process, being used to attacking flesh and bone organisms rather than robots, but it's also likely that the drone in question will crash into a million pieces.
So, before you fly your drone in a park in NYC, think twice. It might be trounced upon by predatory birds, and even if the bird flies away OK, your drone probably won't.
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[via DNA Info] [Feature Image Courtesy The New York Times]