Hen Crowing After Altercation w/ Coopers Hawk

[centrarchid]

Two days ago a Coopers Hawk came in an snatched a 5-week old chick I had been training. Was part of a brood with eleven siblings. I was at house during event. Mother hen went ballistic going after hawk but it did not even land when flying off with still living chick. Hen was riled for another 2 hours when roosting time. She crowed frequently going up to roost early challenging other hens more than usual. Remaining chicks stayed much closer to her than before event. The hen, like most crows, periodically when ranging with brood but these crowing sounds where much frequent and rooster like.

 

[3riverschick]

If there is no cock in the flock, a hen can and will take over the roosters duties. This can include crowing.
Best,
Karen

 

[centrarchid]

I have a lot of cocks but all are penned. A few within a couple yards of the altercation. The hen crowing occurs even with cocks present, but as I see it, only occur with hens tending chicks. The female "crow" sound differs markedly different from that of a male crow and appear to serves a different purpose. Therefore, I do not think the crowing I see is do to artifact of how the flock is balanced. Hen doing this not of my blood so may be different in her reaction to hawks. This is the first time I almost directly observed a Coopers Hawk take a chick that was actually guarded. Typically hawk backs off once hen starts making a ruckus.

My brother has seen hens loose chicks of similar size to Coopers Hawk with a very similar MO. What he could verify and I think here is problem has chicks moving too far away from hen and she does not have line of sight on targeted chick. Chicks of this brood were getting well away from mama a couple days ago. Now all are staying very close to her.

 

[centrarchid]

Now focus is on the Coopers Hawk. It comes in multiple times each day. Surprisingly it caught only one chick. All chicks but one penned now. Hawk's primary targets are song birds. English House Sparrows in barn and several species working Autumn Olive about 50' S of barn. The several species include the following; Cedar Waxwings, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grossbeaks, and some sparrow like bird that associates strongly with the waxwings. Hawk first makes run on Autumn Olive which causes the song birds to dive into the extensive weeds that are >6' tall and too dense of hawk to fly in. Hawk then positions itself to catch English House Sparrows that fly into barn from the east. Sparrows seem to have trouble seeing hawk in and on other side of barn which are its launch points. Chickens can see hawk just fine and they make a ruckus. The sparrows do not seem to recognize the chicken alarm calls. All the immature chickens seek cover while the adults step out into open and sound alarm. Dog has stopped reacting to that. Hawk appears to go after any juvenile that is not near an adult and is also small enough for hawk to pack off easily. Based on chick lost 3 days ago, chicks weighing about 270 g are OK to go after.

 

[centrarchid]

Location hawk hid in as I approached from house. It could not see me until I entered barn.

Chick hiding in background.

A little closer. Chick is holding feathers tight. His mother is on other side of barrel between hawk and barrel.

All chickens in runs moved to be as close to hawk as they could. Two broodys incubating clutches sat tight and neither was in view of hawk.