It IS a hawk!!

[DuckMochi]

So a few weeks ago I made a post on here saying I saw a hawk or two continuously circling around our neighborhood. I concluded that what I thought was a hawk was actually a buzzard until recently. While I was out in the run with the birds I saw it in the air again and luckily my father was outside to see it and he confirmed that it was a hawk and I wasn’t crazy.

But the hawk never got close. I only saw it very far in the sky, until today. I walked outside and saw the chickens and ducks looking up and I thought the hawk was flying around again so I looked and sure enough, it was the hawk, but it was sitting in our tree in our backyard. Meters from the chickens and ducks just sitting in the tree. It flew off before my mom had a chance to look at it and I’m still not sure what kind it was. It didn’t seem very big but I don’t doubt that it could still easily kill one of the birds. I think it was either a Prairie or a Peregrine falcon but it is hard to tell. To me it had a face that looked more like a kestrel but I am not sure how big kestrels get. Now I’m terrified? What should we do? Is there any way to scare it off? The smallest bird in our flock is my mallard hen, Billy, and she means so much to me that if she were to die I don’t know how I’d survive. Please help...

 

[Stayc]

My thoughts as I've scared off a hawk or two. Be there when they are out or if u have a roo be close enough to stop the attack. I know thats not the best course of action but my heart breaks when i leave the babies confined to the run as we have red clay dirt (zero grass no matter what) and i feel like i am imprisoning them. I have heard hanging old cd's in the trees helps, i havent ever had an issue. My flock (3hens 1 cockrel) have alot to hide under. Their favorite spot is a wheelbarrow i leaned against the fence but they hide under the stairs to my back deck most often. The hawk was choosing its prey when you caught it. I have caught them as well. I act like a crazy person put a broom or big stick across my shoulders and act like a bigger bird. I know its nuts but i love my babies! Best of luck with yours.

 

[Cacique500]

Here's a video from a couple days ago...watch behind the run and you'll see the hawk swoop down. He then tries to run around at ground level. He stalked them for 10 minutes before giving up and flying off. The girls wouldn't come out of the coop for two days.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Hey gal!
There isn't much you can "legally" do I'm afraid. I'm pretty sure Hawks as well as other birds of prey are protected under the migratory bird treaty Act.
If covering your run isn't an option . . maybe you could tie some long pieces of rope/cloth or something crisscrossing over the top of your run? Anything to deter the hawk from being able to just swoop down easily. . something to slow it down at least so that your birds have time to run for cover.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Hawks flap their wings quickly and often. Buzzards rarely flap their wings.

 

[DuckMochi]

@Stayc I live in Tempe, Arizona. So this IS the South they fly too. And living in such a busy city it's strange for a hawk to be around like this. This is the first time in my 19 years of life that I have seen a hawk in our neighborhood and of course it's when we have chickens

 

[Kathy Golla]

I have the same situation. Large uncovered run.
Nov through Feb is hawk season. Leaves are off the trees and hawks can see better. Food is at a premium (winter). The young ones are very inexperienced and will do pretty reckless things. They aren't concerned about people, they are concerned about getting a meal. An easy meal is optimal.
You need to go to the garden center and get a big roll of bird netting and cover the pen. The rolls come in like 8 foot wide rolls, so even the largest pen should be able to be covered.
Here's my visitor today. Very juvenile red tailed hawk. Good times.
I'm in sf Bay Area and saw no hawks feb through November this year.

 

[DuckMochi]

@FrankieDoodle they have a run and no there is no roof above it as it is half of our backyard... we have a large bamboo plant in the middle towards their coop and two orange trees at the opposite end of the yard that offer cover/shade but it is open in a chunk of the run where we keep the water for the ducks

 

[DuckMochi]

@Stayc ive seen it flying multiple times because I’ve always been out in the run when it flies past. But this is the first time I’ve seen it land and it had to be right in our backyard. We don’t have a rooster because it is illegal in the city to have one

 

[Stayc]

@Stayc ive seen it flying multiple times because I’ve always been out in the run when it flies past. But this is the first time I’ve seen it land and it had to be right in our backyard. We don’t have a rooster because it is illegal in the city to have one

So the best course of action would be to keep them confined for at least 2 weeks. Sad, i know. But push come to shove i would do it too. Or make sure the range space is covered. It will move on eventually.