Hawk!

[babyrnlc]

We had the chickens out in the yard this morning. Mom went into her house and said I could go in, the chickens would be fine (we had the dogs put up). I was a little nervous so I decided to eat breakfast outside. While I was sitting there eating, the chickens all got startled and the babies ran to me. (They are 14 weeks old) I look up and there was a HUGE hawk or eagle flying very low (like 20 ft off the ground). It was coming straight for us and I stood up and waved my hands and yelled and it flew off, but still was soaring around the neighborhood for a bit. We decided to put them up.

I am not sure what it was but it was huge, like 3-4 ft wingspan and it was dark brown. I have seen hawks around but they were about the size of the baby chickens, this one was bigger.

I am so happy I happened to be out there, but I am very nervous that it was brave enough to fly so low in our back yard and it clearly knows the chickens are here!

 

[matthewschickens]

We have hawks here, mostly smaller. They've tried for the hens a few times. Once the chicken was eating grass the the hawk thought the tail was the head and pulled it out. So we called her Rumpy, as she didn't have a tail. The other one lost a lot of feathers, but no blood.

 

[luvinrunnin]

WE have a couple brown shouldered hawks here. Probably what you have as well. They are pretty large. We keep our chickens up in a run all the time since we have loose dogs and so do the neighbors. Our dogs visit back and forth as do theirs, so having the chickens out is not an option.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are few kinds of hawks in Oklahoma this time of year.
Cooper's and Red Tailed in the entire state,
Northern Harrier in the northwest half,
Swainson's in the western 2/3s,
Red Shouldered and Broad Winged in the eastern half.

Harriers, Red tailed, Red shouldered and Swainsons are the biggest of the group - up to about 2' tall.
Red tailed and Red shouldered are probably the only big ones around Tulsa. They eat primarily rodents and reptiles but will take a chicken if they're hungry.

Golden Eagles only in the western part of the pan handle.
Kestrels are in the entire state but they're pretty small.

 

[babyrnlc]

Quote:
Cool thanks.

We have bald eagles about 20 miles from here (at the dam), but it did not look like a bald eagle, but it was the size of one (we have some at the zoo). I did not notice red, but it all happened fast, I just know it was HUGE!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They look bigger when they're closer.

Immature bald eagles don't have white heads or tails, they look like goldens the first few years but their wingspan in the 7' range or more and their diet is almost entirely fish.

 

[Okie Amazon]

Immature BE's have no white on the head yet.

 

[babyrnlc]

Maybe I can get a picture if it comes back. I am curious. I know I have heard hawk noises and we have seen hawks way up (two of them) but never so low.


The windspan was not 7ft, but it was probably 3-4 ft.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There is a black race of the Red-tailed that winters near you but should be heading to Alaska by now.
There's a dark phase of the Swainson's but they hang out in the plains, I think you have too many trees in the east for them.

Also the red won't show up when they're overhead. Is the bird light or dark when it's overhead?

 

[bryan99705]

Time to think about netting, brush or some type of cover for the birds, or some peopele have sucess with string across the bird's area with reflective items hung from it (tin foil, old CDs, etc)