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Red-Tail Hawk Hitches a 15-Minute Ride on Car Hood in Los Angeles

How’s that for a surprise passenger? Two women driving in Los Angeles were surprised when a red-tail hawk landed on the hood of their car, where it stayed for 15 full minutes.
Red-tail hawk, presumably a fledge, hitches a ride on car hood in LA 15 photos
Photo: YouTube / Matt Eddy
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The video is nearing viral status, and with good reason. You will also find it available at the bottom of the page; according to some commenters, the hawk seems like a recent fledge, which means it’s at an age where it can get easily confused. This would explain its surprise landing and the fact that it didn’t move even though the car didn’t stop until much later.

At the wheel was producer Rebecca Hobbs and her passenger was realtor Staci Eddy. Ken Nolan, a screenwriter on “Black Hawk Down,” whom the women called for a word of advice, is heard on the speaker phone.

Both women are surprised at the sight of the hawk but, while they debate whether they should call animal control, they don’t even consider pulling over. The thought doesn’t occur until later on, when the hawk has already been on the hood for several minutes. They decide against it, lest the hawk attacks either of them if they get out and try to shoo it away.

Eventually, when they see the unexpected passenger has no intention of going on its way, they pull over to go through their options. That’s when the bird eventually flies away and, as you can see in the video, we’re assured there was nothing physically wrong with it.

The women joke that they felt like Uber for hawks during the surprise ride, the difference being that they didn’t get paid for the trip – and neither did they get any stars. Moreover, they got the judgy look several times so, in a way, this hawk was your regular backseat driver who won’t stop judging your driving skills with their eyes.

All jokes aside, if this should ever happen to you, make sure you safely pull over the first chance you get. Driving around with a live hawk on your hood / windshield is all sorts of dangerous – and not just for the hawk.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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