Hawks

[sourland]

Earlier this summer I would hear a bird that sounded like a hawk and I would run out, ready to flush my birds from their run back to their coop - only to see that it wasn't a raptor but some kind of song bird. A jay, maybe? I don't see well but it had a longish tail, and was small, not like a red-tail anyway. Does anyone know if jays or other harmless birds call like this to warn of a raptor? It would call and call untill I came out and then fly away.

Blue jays frequently mimic red tail hawks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Blue jays frequently mimic red tail hawks.

Thanks! So I'm not losing my mind! Any ideas why? Does it mean there's a hawk stalking, or are they just... having a bit of a lark? (Pardon pun)

 

[ColtHandorf]

Any ideas why?

The mimic the cries to startle or frighten other birds away from a food source, water source, or other territory. A lot of times you'll see them do that at bird feeders to hog it to themselves.

 

[RoosterML]

Choot’em, if they don’t get your chickens they will get mine.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The mimic the cries to startle or frighten other birds away from a food source, water source, or other territory. A lot of times you'll see them do that at bird feeders to hog it to themselves.

Those little rascals!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Choot’em, if they don’t get your chickens they will get mine.

Choot a blue jay??? I could never! Couldn't choot a hawk, needer, even if 'twere legal, which 'taint. No firearms here. These are God's chickens, and if He wants to feed one to one of His hawks, I reckon that's okay with me. I still try to be a good steward over them, though.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Thanks. Could these little raptors be a danger to my EEs?

I have personally witnessed a sharp shinned hawk kill a medium sized game hen. It did this by having its talons impaled in the hens breast and flipping backwards to rip the breast open. Although sad for the hen, it was quite amazing to see.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have personally witnessed a sharp shinned hawk kill a medium sized game hen. It did this by having its talons impaled in the hens breast and flipping backwards to rip the breast open. Although sad for the hen, it was quite amazing to see.

Interesting. I have EEs and BLs. And I have not actually seen small raptors around, just the RTH that one time. It came back after it successfully carried one off - which we determined had happened by circumstantial evidence.

 

[cmom]

I have personally witnessed a sharp shinned hawk kill a medium sized game hen. It did this by having its talons impaled in the hens breast and flipping backwards to rip the breast open. Although sad for the hen, it was quite amazing to see.

I had a similar thing happen. I had a Sharp Shinned hawk that practically landed on me in my blueberry patch. One of the birds (a Rhode Island White) was in there with me and it killed her. It happened so fast.

 

[Potrack]

Blue jays frequently mimic red tail hawks.

And vice versa, I have heard hawks making blue jay calls, for whatever reason.