/ Register

  1. If this is your first time on BYC, we suggest you start with one of these three options:
    Raising Chickens Chicken Coops Join BYC
    Not a member yet? join BYC here & then introduce yourself in our community forum here.

Hawks

Discussion in 'Predators and Pests' started by AccidentalFarm, Apr 13, 2007.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Apr 13, 2007 #1
    AccidentalFarm

    AccidentalFarm Songster

    1,195
    17
    191
    Mar 29, 2007
    Ok, don't laugh. I have a question I feel silly asking, but I gotta do it anyway.

    For the last week I have seen a hawk on my way to work in the morning. It is always in the same general area, sitting on a fence post. Probably not always the very same fence post, but within a stretch of 3 or 4.

    I keep wondering why it is staying right there in the same place- and is that what they do? I guess I always thought they flew around and lived wherever there was a food source. It has occurred to me that maybe it's a momma and is hanging close to the nest....?

    This leads me to another silly question- If I don't see any hawks regularly at my place, does this mean there are none that 'live' near me?

    Forgive me my silly questions, it's just that I rarely see hawks at all and never gave them any thought until I got my chicks.


    Reminds me of a time a few years back when my daughter was about 7-ish- she came running in the house all breathless and excited. She tells me, "Mommy, you HAVE to come outside!! There's 3 HUGE BALD EAGLES flying in a circle over the horse pen!!!" She now knows that those "Bald Eagles" are the not-so-glamorous Buzzard.
     
  2. Apr 13, 2007 #2
    Redneckchick

    Redneckchick In the Brooder

    68
    0
    29
    Mar 30, 2007
    Coldwater , Ms
    Its looking for its next meal...Rabbit, feild mice..ect. I have them all around my area and they like to hunt "roadside" that way if something crosses the road......no pun intended folks...lol.
     
  3. Apr 20, 2007 #3
    jstudy

    jstudy In the Brooder

    21
    0
    22
    Feb 15, 2007
    It's hunting the area. Right now it probably has a nest, so expect to see it often for a while. Depending on species they can have a teritory that they stay around.
     
  4. Apr 20, 2007 #4
    MTchick

    MTchick Songster

    408
    2
    151
    Feb 2, 2007
    Western Montana
    If I don't see any hawks regularly at my place, does this mean there are none that 'live' near me?

    Sort of. That means they are either subtle, or none are nesting near you. Also, the nesting/breeding period isn't that long so very quickly the hawks will no longer respect each other's territories. Also, even during the breeding season, some (unlucky) hawks won't breed and just fly around eating stuff instead. So those are always a threat, potentially.

    -MTchick​
     
  5. Aug 9, 2013 #5
    smarsh

    smarsh Songster

    741
    32
    164
    Aug 19, 2009
    lexington, KY
    most hawks, during the summer and winter have a territory, and can, fairly easily, be found within that area. Well for the buteos anyway; the Accipitors (bird eaters) are a little harder to spot. They tend to set inside the canopies of trees. They make an effort to hide. And they don't feed by soaring high in the open. If you don't see hawks in your area, you are either not observant enough or don't have any. You may be lucky enough to not have one eyeing your chickens but come migration time there are few spots that hawks won't be at least passing by.
     

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by: