Are Some Colors More Attractive to Aerial Predators?

[pips&peeps]

I've got all kinds of hawks, crows, ravens and even bald eagles flying around.

I lost a few about four years ago to an owl and he didn't pick one color over another.

 

[kari_dawn]

scratch'n'peck :

I have actually read that crows can help deter hawk attacks. The crows may decide to steal a few eggs though.

In my experience, crows are not above making off with a chick or two as well.​

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I don't have my chickens yet but crows will definitely make a racket whenever a hawk is in the neighborhood and won't shut up until the hawk moves on.

 

[centrarchid]

Coloration may not be only factor. How bird reacts to predator and birds size may also be very important. In most intances I have seen with diurnal predators, the chickens movement and being out in open renders cryptic coloration useless. In order to get a handle in this, you need to have multiple colorations in a flock and usefull information will be gathered only if predators are actually taking birds.

 

[StarLover21]

I lost a black one....

 

[JenEric Farms]

This is so interesting, becaus I have been wondering about this for a while now!

I lost four White Silkies over the course of about two weeks a couple of years ago. They were juveniles at the time and I had partridge, grey, blue, black and white all running together. Only the whites were taken. I thought it was so odd!

The chickens don't go out by themselves without being in a completely covered run now.

 

[kari_dawn]

Quote:
Good point. I will add that one of my white birds that got taken was actually a splash (mostly white) BANTAM frizzle. She was also the slowest moving, and didn't stick with the group well. She kinda made herself a target...in addition to her flashy coloring. She was taken durring the day time (I stepped inside for about fifteen minutes) by a bird of prey I believe.

 

[WallyG74]

I’ve lost white and black. Both were small bantam Cochins. That being said, I’ve been told hawks are less likely to attack large fowl full grown chickens, but there’s always exceptions to every rule.

 

[The Moonshiner]

 

[WallyG74]

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I never even looked at the date, obviously. It popped up in my face somehow