This was a fascinating sighting by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser in Costa Rica a few days ago, and it was the first time he had ever observed it. This raptor put two and two together thinking, “Hey, maybe I can get a free meal while these guys have birds flying out from their hands,” during their banding operation. The Gray Hawk (Buteo plagiatus) stuck around for most of the day watching them process birds and waiting to see if it could take advantage of the situation. Luckily the humans were a step or two ahead of it, but it was an interesting behavior to watch.
