do birds of prey kill full grown ducks?

[Mom 2em All]

I didnt read all the pages, but want to add my story.

I live smackdab in the middle of a suburb neighborhood- with power lines and a power line pole in my backyard. The hawks circle constantly- I never see them until I notice my ducks looking upward, nervously.
(Incidentally, I live in the path of the airport runway- the airport is two miles away so planes fly low overhead quite regularly. Those are the biggest "hawks" my ducks have ever seen...)

Last summer, a hawk swooped down and grabbed my pigeon with myself and my dogs right there!!@ In fact, we almost grabbed him- dogs were a little faster and more on target, but the hawk made it up and over the fence before the dogs could grab it. It dropped the pigeon in its ascent- but has since returned several times and taken pigeons. It is harder for them to attack because of the power lines, but they are getting smarter.

The presence of people do not phase these 'suburb' dwelling hawks.

 

[mymacandstormy]

I found your forum because I have a huge interest in ducks having the good fortune of living near a great woodland park well over 40 years along with a fabulous whwt with atitude (he would bite sometimes)...he is gone and I have others but not like him now through this woodland park I found the crow, the most fantastic creature imaginable!! I loved them, smart (give them peanuts and you might find a young one who took one from your hand they'd follow us around the pathways, they had mass groupings just like people many thousands of them a couple times a year and a long while back I found one who had fishing line around one leg that got caught in a tree branch, struggling and stressed... a great local individual drove to his home to get a branch cutter, a real long one, and he was able to cut high up the tree releasing the branch and bird to the ground. I cut the line off his leg and you would think the bird would take off? he sat on my hand (while I told him or her how beautiful he was) and the bird began to make that crow sound with chest and head lowered. I was smitten.
but when the actual rescuer who got the cutting tool placed his finger gently under the crow neck, the bird promptly bit him. not serious.

so, when the west nile killed them all here, (I believe millions of them were lost), I was devastated. through all our wildlife I saw how important crows are to the very survival of ALL BIRDS!! in the 1970's certain bird societies took it upon themselves to populate cities around the entire USA with killer birds. and over decades these consequences are now far reaching, from the desolation in my parkland without crows to offer warning, vigilence, and defense. through my time with mallards, I saw one sensational male wood duck who refused to be enticed away from mallards by any lovely enticing female of his kind, I couldnt wait for my daily visits to see them, they were living for so many years undisturbed. I saw a canada goose so badly wanted to parent he left his mate and took up position behind a mother mallard and her family and sailed up and down our lake for weeks as protector to his adopted offspring (while his mate watched and waited) we had so much and lost it all.

Wintertime next year should see really dramatic reductions in every bird north of NYC (aside from english sparrow and starling) now the predators in this area have killed everything smaller than the goose. and they are multiplying greatly.

 

[BarneyChick97]

I know this is a really old thread, but Yeah.... they do! I suspect a red tail hawk too. I had a beautiful crested swedish blue girl, killed a few days ago. We found her behind our large coop, not in the open. She was picked CLEAN. It ate every bit of meat off her!! The only stuff left was feathers, head, wing span, feet, and spine! ALL my birds have been spooked for the past few days. I noticed one flew real low through my yard. My husband said that they wouldn't attack if I was out there, but I guess not!! I wished I had looked for this thread a LONG time ago! But now I know, that bird will show no fear.

 

[cymbaline]

Was leaving for work this morning and stopped at the back door to tell the ducks goodbye...apparently somebody thought he was gonna get duck for breakfast. Good thing he was mistaken - no way he was getting through my pen! The ducks were terrified anyway (guess they don't realize they are safe in there), and were quietly huddled together in the opposite corner closest to my back door. They quacked with relief after I opened the door and scared him off. I've never seen one around here, at least not so close that I could identify it. That is so scary!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Was leaving for work this morning and stopped at the back door to tell the ducks goodbye...apparently somebody thought he was gonna get duck for breakfast. Good thing he was mistaken - no way he was getting through my pen! The ducks were terrified anyway (guess they don't realize they are safe in there), and were quietly huddled together in the opposite corner closest to my back door. They quacked with relief after I opened the door and scared him off. I've never seen one around here, at least not so close that I could identify it. That is so scary!

It sure is pretty but deadly, good for you have a safe secure pen for your ducks!! Migration could be why you saw this one,.

 

[cymbaline]

It sure is pretty but deadly, good for you have a safe secure pen for your ducks!! Migration could be why you saw this one,.

I never thought of that...hopefully he really was just passing through and not planning on hanging out. I do let them out in my yard when I'm outside gardening and stuff (which through the spring and summer is very often), but seeing him makes me never want to let them out again.

Especially after reading through some of this thread.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I never thought of that...hopefully he really was just passing through and not planning on hanging out. I do let them out in my yard when I'm outside gardening and stuff (which through the spring and summer is very often), but seeing him makes me never want to let them out again.

Especially after reading through some of this thread.

Hawks live in all parts of the country so it could have been one that lives around there just never know. Seems we see more in spring and fall but that's when there are no leaves on the trees so they have a better view of the menu. Sure makes me nervous. I love seeing them but not around the house.

 

[BarneyChick97]

There are a LOT more here in the Spring/Summer. I now notice, only probably due to the loss of a duck. I have some smaller turkeys now. I'm taking my chances with them. They are much bigger than a duck, so I think they are OK. I've let my chickens out only when I'm out with them now. I certainly wouldn't let them out if I saw that guy hanging out. But seriously, never paid much attention to the migratory time for hawks. Once in a awhile now, we get a group/pair of hawks that circle, and an eagle. Spring and summer, there had to of been 8+ at one time circling in a group all over. Like pretty little vultures!!!!

 

[dcrumrin]

A huge hawk flew into my tiny suburban yard (like 20 x 20 feet) and pounced on one of my male ducks. The female started quacking loudly and I could tell something was wrong. As soon as I opened the door, the big hawk flew away and I scooped up the two ducks in the yard and put them in their house. The other male I found hiding around the side of the house. The male has some punctures on his back and a small amount of blood coming from his nostrils. I've checked him out and he doesn't seem to have a lot of pain, but there is some blood under the feathers on his back. I'm watching him to see how he does, but not letting them out to free range again in the back yard.

I've seen hawks before, sitting on the neighbor's garage roof, eyeing my bantams, but I didn't think they would touch a nearly full grown Rouen drake. I'm hoping he'll be ok.

 

[Amiga]

A huge hawk flew into my tiny suburban yard (like 20 x 20 feet) and pounced on one of my male ducks. The female started quacking loudly and I could tell something was wrong. As soon as I opened the door, the big hawk flew away and I scooped up the two ducks in the yard and put them in their house. The other male I found hiding around the side of the house. The male has some punctures on his back and a small amount of blood coming from his nostrils. I've checked him out and he doesn't seem to have a lot of pain, but there is some blood under the feathers on his back. I'm watching him to see how he does, but not letting them out to free range again in the back yard.

I've seen hawks before, sitting on the neighbor's garage roof, eyeing my bantams, but I didn't think they would touch a nearly full grown Rouen drake. I'm hoping he'll be ok.

I would get him into a lukewarm bath and identify wounds. Bloody nostrils concern me. Rinse the wounds well with saline solution or Vetericyn, is he drinking and eating or in shock?