As a top predator, a hawk usually commands respect — and fear — from anything smaller in his path. Confident and powerful, he’s used to being the one others run from.
But this time, things didn’t go according to plan.
While scanning a grassy patch for a snack, the hawk spotted what looked like the perfect target: a lone duck calmly sitting in the open. It wasn’t moving. It wasn’t flinching. And it definitely wasn’t afraid.
Eager for an easy catch, the hawk swooped in — only to find himself in a baffling showdown. The duck wasn’t real. It was a plastic decoy.
YouTube user Garybob happened to witness the whole hilarious scene and caught it on video. The hawk, clearly puzzled, circled the “duck,” pausing often with visible confusion, as if wondering whether this was some kind of elaborate joke.
For several minutes, the hawk tried to provoke a reaction. But the decoy held its ground, calm and completely unbothered. Eventually, the hawk gave up, flying off in quiet defeat — likely hoping no one noticed his failed conquest.
The decoy may not be alive, but it certainly earned its victory. And the hawk learned a humbling lesson: sometimes, the prey you can’t scare is the one that’s not even real.
