14 DAY TRIAL // Just yesterday, the folks at Earth Unplugged posted this slow-motion video showing a hawk attacking a water balloon and killing it on the spot on YouTube. By now, the video has scored over 15,000 hits, so there is little denying that people have taken quite a liking to it.
I for one have to admit that, if it were not for the fact that I am completely taken aback by the bird`s amazing skills as a predator, I would feel just a tad sorry for the balloon and its horrific demise.
Then again, if a poor, defenseless yellow balloon must die in order for us to be able to watch a hawk at work and wonder at its gracefulness, so be it.
In the video's description, the people behind Earth Unplugged detail that the bird featured in this video is a Goshawk. This species is currently one of least concern, and inhabits the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.
Due to the fact that it lives and nests in forests, its wings are not all that long. Its tail, on the other hand, is. According to wildlife researchers, these anatomical particularities make it possible for birds belonging to this species to easily navigate their surroundings.