# Anti-pigeon hawk mistakes chihuahua for rat...well, can you blame him? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 8, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845 "2003-08-08T16:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/1 "2003-08-08T16:14:29Z")
I’m a well-known animal lover on these boards, but I laughed pretty hard when I read this: > [@](#): > > The use of hawks to control the pigeon population at a park near New York’s Times Square has been suspended after one of the birds attacked a Chihuahua, mistaking the miniature dog for a rat. (Excerpted from http://news1.iwon.com/odd/article/id/346020|oddlyenough|08-08-2003::10:29|reuters.html]this article.) Just so you know, puppy is physically fine. Reminscent of an urban legend, isn’t it? Just shows that sometimes, if you wait long enough, a myth can become reality. Anyone else feeling guilty over their giggling? (But still… 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/2 "2003-08-08T16:23:03Z")
Whoa, that link got a little messed up. That’s what I get for not previewing, eh? Hmm. The url won’t post correctly. I’ll try [this one](http://news1.iwon.com/odd/article/id/346020%7Coddlyenough%7C08-08-2003::10:29%7Creuters.html). Okay that works. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/3 "2003-08-08T16:45:15Z")
“The pigeon population has been cut in half…” Woah. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/4 "2003-08-08T23:49:47Z")
In the spot on NPR, they talked to the falconer who handles the raptors. They asked him if this would spell the end of the pigeon-scaring program. No, he said, he could equip the falcons with little gloves, so they couldn’t take prey. I’ve got so much to learn about codging. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/5 "2003-08-09T18:38:46Z")
the hawk in question has grabbed various rodents in the park. i’m sure the chihuahua was just a little snack before huge city rat for dinner. very scary for the owner of the wee dog. i hate to see any pet attacked. owls are notorius for nabbing kittens. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/6 "2003-08-09T18:56:39Z")
So, wait. If a [pigeon hawk](http://www.audubon.org/bird/BoA/F2_G9c.html) is a bird that hunts pigeons, would that make an anti-pigeon hawk a bird who is against pigeon hunting? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/7 "2003-08-09T21:04:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neutron star \* > So, wait. If a [pigeon hawk](http://www.audubon.org/bird/BoA/F2_G9c.html) is a bird that hunts pigeons, would that make an anti-pigeon hawk a bird who is against pigeon hunting? 🙂 ] By the same token if a Pigeon Hawk eats pigeons, does that mean that the **Harris Hawk** in the story eats people named Harris ;)? - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-pigeon-hawk-mistakes-chihuahua-for-rat-well-can-you-blame-him/193845/8 "2003-08-09T21:22:49Z")
By the way, for the sake of the factual, the name Pigeon Hawk is outdated. They’re now called **Merlins**. There is some confusion over whether the name Pigeon Hawk derived from diet ( which includes pigeons to be sure ) or their appearance in flight. - Tamerlane