Grey and white hawk

[TexasSam]

Grey and white hawk got one of my one month old chicks today. What is the most common hawk in the south that is grey and white

 

[happyfrenchman]

That looks like the bad guy I hit it with a acorn from a slingshot yesterday hopefully that's that

I figured it would be. It usually is a Cooper hawk. I have never heard of a Red tail although some on here have. The Coopers... They tend to return to where they have had success. You will probably see him hanging around in the trees if you are able to see it fly in. I have had success with leaving a carcass out (You can move it a bit to get a clear field of fire, preferably from cover) and then wait. The last one had killed a full grown hen and hardly ate any of it when I walked by and interrupted it. I knew from that, that it would be hungry. So I set up and waited. It finally returned just as it was getting dark. Surprisingly cautious and stealthy but not enough. I do not play around with those things. They are vermin. They have spooky orange eyes, like lamps, to see in low light I guess. They are somewhat nocturnal from what I have observed.
I see on here the usual crows cawing about Federal regulations... They can cry and whine and hang cds in the trees if they like. Not me. One time a few years back now, I learned the hard lesson of letting young chicks run around loose.... I got that one too and then I got it's mate the next day early. They get very hungry as the season progresses. They also tend to hunt in the morning. But if they are unsuccessful, (typically later in the year when game is scarcer) they will attack later in the day. They will also wait until you go away before striking. They are smart in alot of ways but they are also dumb when they are hungry and young. You can take advantage of that if you have something more than an acorn slingshot. I used to have pigeons and from that, I have become somewhat an expert on their behaviors. I never pass up a chance and there never seems to be a shortage of them. I do not have nearly the problem with them regarding the chickens, that I had with the pigeons. That was unbelievable. It is true that it is illegal to shoot one and illegal even to possess their feathers... Good luck. I hope you don't lose any more birds. They say another will take it's place, but not for a while in my experience.

 

[imnukensc]

Cooper's Hawk would be my guess. More common than the Sharp Shinned which is North America's smallest hawk although still large enough to grab a month old chick. I have a Cooper's Hawk that hangs around my bird feeders, but doesn't bother my 5 month old pullets.

 

[BYC910]

http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/2014/07...ildlife/dfw-raptors-hawks-falcons-and-eagles/ check this site

 

[BYC910]

Falcon most common with those colors . They are experts at snatching birds in flight too . I recommend you cover your runs with poultry netting .

 

[Fairview01]

A hungry one. Sorry couldn't resist

Seriously though you'd know if it was a red tailed hawk. My vote is for Cooper hawk also. There is a pulse of Coopers hawks in TX during their fall migration but there are some that hang out year round here.

Too small to carry off anything but chicks. Once they are too big they will swoop down kill and consume the victim in place. Once a bird of prey learns how to get an easy meal they stick around till it's not so easy and then move on. Had a Coopers hawk swoop down into my open run and nail a young pullet. Couldn't carry it away so ate it inside the run with the 5 worthless roosters watching I assume. Only one incidence of this so I guess he kept moving with the migration.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Only if you get caught.

No....you have still committed the crime whether you get caught or not.

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden

 

[Fairview01]

No....you have still committed the crime whether you get caught or not.

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden

Perhaps in days gone by but it is my opinion in today's society the true test of a man's character is to stand alone, do what is right and defend the defenseless while the majority watches and remains idle.

What difference does it make what kind of hawk it is?? Damage is done, take measures to protect the rest of the flock, BUT, you are a true marksman to hit anything with a slingshot and acorn!!!!!! A marble or ball bearing would have better ballistics!

My mom could use a wooden Whamo sling shot and iron ore pellets, open the back door and nail a dog taking a dump in our yard at 100'. She hated those dogs and she rarely ever missed.

At 60 I'm having a hard time hitting a deer under 100yds with a duplex Leopold 3X9 scope. I used to reload to squeeze every ounce of accuracy out of my rifles. Now I think my rifles are shooting with factory ammo more accurately than I can. Getting older sucks.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I looked it up and maybe a Gray hawk? Here is the link if you want to see for yourself.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Hawk/id

 

[junebuggena]

Mississippi Kite, Sharp Shinned Hawk, and Coopers Hawk are most likely based on your region.