Major Starling and Minor Sharp-shinned Hawk Issues

[centrarchid]

This year I am seeing something that occurs here in only some years. A flock of at least 10,000 starlings are centering their activities on my poultry area where most of the chickens are confined singly to pens that are out in the open. The starlings spend much of their time loafing in trees and bamboo patch, but they come down in large numbers when I put out feed and walk away. They are able to eat more of the feed than the chickens can. To compensate I feed the chickens less when I walk past, but walk past multiple times so chickens can clean up feed before starlings get at it. The sustained activity has at least one Sharp-shinned Hawk that is hanging out in bushes that are near pens. The Sharp-shinned is easy to ID from the Coopers we more typically see based on behavior alone. The Sharp-shinned flies very low to ground even through bush while the Coopers Hawks fly more in the open and go into same heavy bush when chasing a bird. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is not driving the starlings away despite catching them for eats. The chickens seem to have no concern over the diminutive hawk.

 

[centrarchid]

I just pulled in with truck to see the little hawk going after English House Sparrows. Sparrows were hiding under boards like mice and even retreated to chicken pens. Hawk could easily get into those pens, but the chickens would get it if hawk did. After repeated efforts to catch a sparrow under a board, a free-ranging game hen came over and started chasing the hawk through the brush causing it to fly off although not in a very big hurry. The dogs then half-assed chased the hawk as it flew low to the ground to start another hunting run. Hawk has one white feather on right wing. It is also young of the year as in brown juvenile feathering. Starlings were not present during this.

 

[centrarchid]

Cooper’s Hawk just hunted through. Dogs put a lot more effort in the running that bird off.

 

[centrarchid]

Starlings stopped coming in. They still have a major roost somewhere to north of us. They are starting to form up with other similar sized flocks that can stretch for miles. I think they consumed most of the easy eats in the soil. They do the little probing thing that leaves bill holes all over the place.