Desert buzzard: a bird that hunts in an organized flock (9 photos)
Typically, birds of prey are staunch loners. Desert buzzards are used to doing everything together. And hunt and build nests. 
The desert buzzard, also known as Harris's hawk, is far from the largest bird of the New World. Even within their range, Mexico and central South America, there are plenty of birds larger than them. Some female desert buzzards weigh 1.6 kilograms, but most do not reach even a kilogram. And males are as much as 30% lighter than them. Of course, small birds are physically weaker than larger predators, so their nests are regularly raided by eagle owls, ravens, golden eagles and buzzards. 
But feathered thieves rarely get to the eggs, because they are met with organized resistance from a hunting flock, which can include up to 7 buzzards! This is not just a bunch of people who decided to stick together, but a full-fledged family consisting of a male, a female and their offspring for the last 3 years. 
Most often, hawk families can be found in open forests and semi-deserts, but especially desperate birds also settle in swamps. The flock occupies a large tree, rock or dense thicket of bushes, where it builds a compact nest lined with moss. All family members, without exception, participate in construction. In the future, they will all participate in raising 2-4 children. 
Cactus walls are perfect for a nursery! This will ensure your kids don't overindulge!
This benefits each participant: the babies will receive a huge amount of food and attention, they will not have to fight for survival, like the chicks of many other diurnal birds of prey. Young people learn to build and care for children without the risk of critically messing up. Well, parents don’t break their veins for the sake of their children. 
The main disadvantage of this approach - the need to feed a horde of hungry mouths - they were also able to turn into an advantage. Hawks hunt in flocks, and each additional team member increases the chances of getting meat by 10%. In addition, the choice of prey is expanding. The lonely desert buzzard feeds on large insects, lizards, snakes, rats and small birds like finches. 
Oops, spontaneous snack on the road.
But the hunting team catches storks, young turkeys and hares. Even ground hunters cannot always cope with the latter! Other species of birds of prey, whose menu consists of the same animals, are at least a third heavier than buzzards, which says a lot about the ability of Harris's hawks to work as a team. 
This is all thanks to the thoughtful tactics these birds use. During the hunt, most of the flock simply rests, and only 1-2 birds conduct reconnaissance. As soon as the scout discovers worthwhile prey, he returns to the location of the main forces and takes them with him. After which the birds surround the victim and attack it one by one with the help of powerful clawed paws and hooked beaks. It sounds simple on paper, but in reality it requires birds to complexly coordinate their actions. 
In addition, their tendency to gregarious behavior gave an effect that was not inherent in evolution. Since birds are sociable and social, they are easy to tame and train. They are used in falconry even in Europe and Great Britain, far beyond their native range. In addition, they are placed at airports, beaches and industrial sites to protect them from seagulls and pigeons. After all, not a single bird in its right mind would go there where a well-organized flock of dangerous predators was operating! 
