Hawks and Songbirds

[EggyTheHen]

our yard is delightfully filled with all kinds of birds. we have 6 chickens and three trees that are always filled with all kinds of fun birds who come fly around and eat the birdseed we put out. ones like stellars jays, robins, bluebirds, chickadees, starlings, and even squirrels like to come visit and me and my family love to just sit and watch them hop around out there and sing.
this morning though I heard some strange, distressed sounds from outside and when I looked there was a red-tailed hawk pinning a robin to the ground. I tried to chase it away but it took the robin with it out of the yard. a bunch of other birds saw it happen and while they haven't entirely left they seem to be acting a lot more wary.

the main ways I've heard of discouraging hawks is with owl statues and scarecrows and stringing up CDs through branches, but wouldn't all those things scare away the nice birds too? is there any way to scare away hawks while keeping the songbirds in the yard?
of course if keeping the hens safe means no more bird watching that's what will be done but still.

 

[sourland]

Hawks come when they find a food supply. I have never found a way of successfully deterring hawks. I stopped flying pigeons because of them.

 

[-Kiwi-]

Hawks decided my young pigeons were the perfect snack and called their friends over to the all you can eat buffet. I agree that the normal hawk deterrents would frighten the other birds too. Maybe you can move the feeder somewhere the hawks couldn't see all the birds from above? Like under a large shade thingy?

 

[cmom]

Good luck...