Do hawks return to the sceen of the crime for another meal?

[no-roo-stew]

Yesterday when I arrived home from work I found my best broody hen eaten by a hawk. There were no other predator foot prints in the snow around the pen, the carcass was stripped of all meat and the poor frizzels feather were flying around the pen, which tells me she was plucked before she was eaten.
My concern is, do the predatory birds remember the site as an easy meal site, and return back for another meal? Or since I live in the "Appalachian Fly Way" is it possible that the raptor is in another state today?
If there is an ornithologists out there who have an idea of the predator life style, I would greatly appreciate an answer. As for the BYC membership, if you have had is experience happen to you, what has been the residual effects. Have you had more losses in the same manner shortly after?
Thanks So Much,
No-roo-stew

 

[Alaskan]

yes, they come back.


And they are persistent!

Maybe 2 months back a hawk ate one of my ducks. He didn't even get a full meal, since he was disturbed before he finished. (HE killed her, and got to eat one breast, then was scared away). I immediately put up twirly tape, spinning washers, and a little kite with a long tail right over the duck's water bowl.

One or two days later, the hawk was sitting on one of the fence posts looking at my ducks, trying to figure out how to get under the ropes.

I ran out, scared him off, and locked up my ducks. He kept coming back for a couple of weeks, and I do still get 'fly by's'.

I have lost several chickens to hawks and eagles too..... they always remember.


Most of my raptors are residents...... so in your case, I might keep the chickens in lock down for a week and then risk letting them out.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

I've lost birds to hawks too and even had the USDA out here to set traps. Hawks do migrate, and there's a huge range that they'll decide to stop and nest. If you have a nesting hawk close by, they'll even teach their young how to go after your chickens. If it's a hawk passing through, they might stick around for a week, get a couple of your birds and then move on. When you have hawk problems, it's always hard to tell if your problem is originating from the same bird that has decided to stay, or multiple different birds that are passing through. The further south you live, the harder it is to tell. I live on a migratory bird path as well. Things get pretty hairy the last week of September here. You can see dozens of hawks in a single day.

 

[bluefrog87]

Always and it's illegal to shoot the thing (despite the strong desire to)

your best bet is avian netting over a run area or hardware cloth or poultry wire.


You need to predator proof the roof and walls asap before you lose another one

 

[Alaskan]

Always and it's illegal to shoot the thing (despite the strong desire to)

your best bet is avian netting over a run area or hardware cloth or poultry wire.


You need to predator proof the roof and walls asap before you lose another one

I had one hawk dive bomb THROUGH my nylon fishnet that I had as a roof over my chicken run.

Actually, he did it twice.

The first time he was so upset, that even though he did kill the chicken, he didn't eat it, we had to shoo him out the gate to the run.

The second time he managed to get in and kill I think two of my chickens (that was a year and a half ago).

Anyway, I now have my runs covered with concrete reinforcing wire. It is super thick strong wire. The holes in it are large enough that a dive bombing hawk could squeeze through, but it is such a tight fit that they have never tried.

point being, I do NOT recommend netting.

 

[no-roo-stew]

Up in the Kenia, one would believe that there would be a greater predation from bears than the passing raptor. I am sure the simple buildings that we erect as coops are like the twig house in the three little pigs fairytale to them.
My biggest fear here in CT is coons, opossums and mink. Secondarily the red fox are omnipresent as well as the coyote. Now the stakes are higher with the aerial assault looming. I will surely be heading out to the Tractor Supply tomorrow for some overhead protection. Not sure what, but I'll post it if I come up with something interesting.
Thanks

 

[no-roo-stew]

I never want to hurt and bird of prey or any predator for that matter. There is a distinct hierarchy of predator and pray animals. All prey animals have their eyes on the side of their heads to see nearly 360 degrees. The predators have forward looking eyes with binocular vision.
It is my understanding that I am raising a prey animal and hold no hard feelings to any animal for the need for survival. We do it daily, with our own birds too.

It is the greedy animals that kill the entire flock to eat only one, that irritate me, raccoons! Glutinous thieves.

Thanks,
No-roo-stew

 

[bluefrog87]

I never want to hurt and bird of prey or any predator for that matter. There is a distinct hierarchy of predator and pray animals. All prey animals have their eyes on the side of their heads to see nearly 360 degrees. The predators have forward looking eyes with binocular vision.
It is my understanding that I am raising a prey animal and hold no hard feelings to any animal for the need for survival. We do it daily, with our own birds too.

It is the greedy animals that kill the entire flock to eat only one, that irritate me, raccoons! Glutinous thieves.

Thanks,
No-roo-stew

The hawk in my area meets the second description. He dive bombs for fun and leaves the kill.


Avian net is designed to keep hawks out but hardware cloth could be your answer if he breaks it

 

[icsd71]

Yes they will return! The easier it is for them to get your birds the more they try. To them it is easy pickings. Do not harm them as they are generally protected. The only thing I found that would keep them away was to show them that I wanted to get them. Plus I had to fence in my birds all the way.