Total Disregard of Red-shouldered Hawk

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centrarchid

centrarchid

Crossing the Road
14 Years
Sep 19, 2009
27,548
22,226
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Holts Summit, Missouri
Starting mid-January every year into about mid-March the local Buteo's (Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks) are defining their territories. The Red-shouldered Hawk do a lot of their bit at canopy level and below while Red-tailed Hawks invest more effort in displays while soaring. The former do not go after my chickens while the latter occasionally do although losses to them are far from frequent even thought they are around almost every day. What is cool today was a Red-shouldered was working the 8 acres of so closest to house and cockyard flying from tree to tree. Trees at most 15 feet tall in that area. Hawk landed in a tree no more than 30 feet from chickens foraging on ground. Chickens did not even look up. If that where a Red-tailed Hawk, then chickens would get riled and dogs would go boiling into cockyard yard looking for some action.
 
Mine are similar - black kites are nothing to them, smaller Falcons are a different story completely- Send the flock scattering in all directions.

Ct
 
Two hawks in cockyard in last 45 minutes. Current temperature 13 F with wind from north 10 to 15 mph.

First was previously mentioned Red-Shouldered Hawk that launched from position on ground as I approached the barn. I kept an eye on the launch point expecting to find a kill sight. Once I got their I was surprised to find a spot where they hawk was laying in the ground sunning itself exactly like some chickens were doing no more than 75 feet away. Hawks location was southern exposure of cedar tree (~4' tall) base covered in snow free grass. Hawk had good view of all area except to north where chickens where located. Hawk left as I pushed towards barn in short flights looking back at me from each perch. It is hunting cockyard for small rodents but not going after songbirds.

Dogs and I went for short walk into woods and upon return I saw a Red-Tailed Hawk that landing in almost same location Red-tailed Hawk landed when it flushed. A rooster started cackling the hawk warning and Lucy (female dog) began barking and looking into trees but did not see hawk herself. Hawk then flew due west.

Yesterday a Merlin (falcon rather than hawk) caught a starling around barn and consumed in while in tree in front of barn. Chickens did get riled over that little bird which is not a threat to anything I have.
 
Image depicting where Red-shouldered Hawk was hanging out on the ground. Photograph taken nearly 4 hours after flushing hawk. Snow at tree base was already gone then although everything else on ground was cover in about 1.5 inches of snow.

1000
 
centrarchid said:
Two hawks in cockyard in last 45 minutes. Current temperature 13 F with wind from north 10 to 15 mph.

First was previously mentioned Red-Shouldered Hawk that launched from position on ground as I approached the barn. I kept an eye on the launch point expecting to find a kill sight. Once I got their I was surprised to find a spot where they hawk was laying in the ground sunning itself exactly like some chickens were doing no more than 75 feet away. Hawks location was southern exposure of cedar tree (~4' tall) base covered in snow free grass. Hawk had good view of all area except to north where chickens where located. Hawk left as I pushed towards barn in short flights looking back at me from each perch. It is hunting cockyard for small rodents but not going after songbirds.

Dogs and I went for short walk into woods and upon return I saw a Red-Tailed Hawk that landing in almost same location Red-tailed Hawk landed when it flushed. A rooster started cackling the hawk warning and Lucy (female dog) began barking and looking into trees but did not see hawk herself. Hawk then flew due west.

Yesterday a Merlin (falcon rather than hawk) caught a starling around barn and consumed in while in tree in front of barn. Chickens did get riled over that little bird which is not a threat to anything I have.
Click to expand...


Good catch on the "sun bathing". Have only ever seen RS on ground when one is tearing into a meal (frogs) and when mating (lucky glance out into wooded draw - got the binoculars and cleared up any confusion). Our resident of several year `09-X? hasn't been around since October. Never stooped on a chook and, its attempts to "spook" the turkeys consistently ended in derisive treatment meted out by the hens, in particular.

The "resident" did a whole lot of hunting, down at the pond, lot's of Bull/Leopard Frogs and snakes for the taking. So, if we had Bantam pullets, instead of big production Sex Links? I might be reporting different outcomes.
 
Last edited:
Now we are getting really interesting. Red-shouldered Hawk was on the ground not even 20 feet from chickens that were dusting themselves at front of barn. I think the hawk was sunning itself. When it flushed the chickens did not even wince as it flew over them at most 3 feet off the ground. I think it is out with them about noon every day. Same hawk hunts same pasture every day. The chickens are not so reserved when Red-tailed Hawk is present. I need to get a picture of what hawk is doing on the the ground.
 

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