New York City: A Hawk On Houston Street

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - Manhattan´s Houston Street is a main artery with lots of traffic. That doesn`t bother a hawk. On my way to the grocery shop I saw a hawk sitting on one of the small trees which are planted along the street (across from Whole Foods & Sunshine Cinema Theater). The bird was feasting on a pigeon and didn´t care about the bystanders who were watching him and taking pictures and the stream of pedestrians.

 

Hawks have apparently adapted to the big city and might even benefit from the urbanization. There is a lot of food (ubiquitous pigeons and smaller birds, rats & mice) and not many competitors (no more bears, wolves, pumas, coyotes and such). Manhattan is not just a grid of concrete canyons, there are a lot of parks and other green places where these birds can nest. The appearance of his hawk might be a sign that these birds are expanding their territory. I took the pictures with an iPhone 6s Plus.

Living in Manhattan is closer to nature than thought.