Regina Barber

But if the hawk just swoops in, the prey will fly away. The hawk needs cover for this ambush. And that's when the story, like, really starts. Zoologist Vladimir Dinitz observed a hawk waiting for a long string of cars to line up at this traffic light.

But if the hawk just swoops in, the prey will fly away. The hawk needs cover for this ambush. And that's when the story, like, really starts. Zoologist Vladimir Dinitz observed a hawk waiting for a long string of cars to line up at this traffic light.

But if the hawk just swoops in, the prey will fly away. The hawk needs cover for this ambush. And that's when the story, like, really starts. Zoologist Vladimir Dinitz observed a hawk waiting for a long string of cars to line up at this traffic light.

Yeah. So Vladimir noticed that whenever the crosswalk button was pushed, it would make this like beeping sound. And the hawk would position itself in a tree down the street from the crumb house, like staging this attack. And he says that when the crosswalk button was like activated, the red light lasts a bit longer.

Yeah. So Vladimir noticed that whenever the crosswalk button was pushed, it would make this like beeping sound. And the hawk would position itself in a tree down the street from the crumb house, like staging this attack. And he says that when the crosswalk button was like activated, the red light lasts a bit longer.

Yeah. So Vladimir noticed that whenever the crosswalk button was pushed, it would make this like beeping sound. And the hawk would position itself in a tree down the street from the crumb house, like staging this attack. And he says that when the crosswalk button was like activated, the red light lasts a bit longer.

And this would make the line of cars get like just long enough to give the hawk proper coverage for this like surprise attack.

And this would make the line of cars get like just long enough to give the hawk proper coverage for this like surprise attack.

And this would make the line of cars get like just long enough to give the hawk proper coverage for this like surprise attack.

Yeah, still, it's important to keep in mind that this is like one hawk. This was only observed by Vladimir. It's not been filmed. So when we talked to Petra Zumutzkutner, a professor of behavioral ecology at the University of Vienna, who didn't work on this study, she was excited about this behavior, but she was skeptical that this hawk was being cued by this crosswalk sound.

Yeah, still, it's important to keep in mind that this is like one hawk. This was only observed by Vladimir. It's not been filmed. So when we talked to Petra Zumutzkutner, a professor of behavioral ecology at the University of Vienna, who didn't work on this study, she was excited about this behavior, but she was skeptical that this hawk was being cued by this crosswalk sound.

Yeah, still, it's important to keep in mind that this is like one hawk. This was only observed by Vladimir. It's not been filmed. So when we talked to Petra Zumutzkutner, a professor of behavioral ecology at the University of Vienna, who didn't work on this study, she was excited about this behavior, but she was skeptical that this hawk was being cued by this crosswalk sound.

She does welcome more observations.

She does welcome more observations.

She does welcome more observations.

We're all hoping for that. But, you know, we might not see the hawk again, but we're probably going to see you again, Ari. Thank you for coming and hanging out with us.

We're all hoping for that. But, you know, we might not see the hawk again, but we're probably going to see you again, Ari. Thank you for coming and hanging out with us.

We're all hoping for that. But, you know, we might not see the hawk again, but we're probably going to see you again, Ari. Thank you for coming and hanging out with us.

Come back anytime. You can hear more of Ari Shapiro on Consider This, NPR's afternoon podcast about what the news means for you.

Come back anytime. You can hear more of Ari Shapiro on Consider This, NPR's afternoon podcast about what the news means for you.