Northern Harrier-help pls!

[DomiHentrix]

Thanks everyone! I will get started with all of the above and see what will work for us!

eta: it was back again today!!

 

[mikeksfarmer]

Hey my friend I have held a N. Harrier in my hand before; in fact several. They are all feathers, made for gliding over the prairies and marshes. There total body size plucked is no bigger than a wild dove. I have also set in a blind and watched prairie chickens strut in the Leek. At that time N. Harriers came in and dive bombed the chickens. None ever attempted to catch a prairie chicken and I believe the same is true for your adult chickens. I would not be overly worried about my adult chickens with a N. Harrier. A Red tail makbe but not a N. Harrier. Maybe others have seen different things.

 

[Zone3Dakota]

We have a family of N. Harriers that hunt our farmyard. I looked them up and was really surprised at how little that they weigh. They certainly look bigger. I get to watch them a lot. Took me a while to identify them, the entire family has different coloring/size from each other.

I've seen them interacting with crows (who were not happy with the hawks, at all) and ducks, both while in the air. A group of ducks with a definite destination in mind dang near bowled one of the hawks out of the sky, because the hawk was gliding in the path. I've not seen an aerial attack on the ducks, but have noticed that the hawk just sort of glides behind them, as if escorting them through the hawk's territory.

The crows were upset, and there were a group of about ten crows that sort of surrounded the field that the hawk was glued to (nests?)...then they all sort of started flying around the hawk...nobody LOOKED aggressive in their flying, neither the hawk nor the crows, and after a while the crows left.

I have a couple of racing pigeon lofts,but we're new here and have not flown them, don't even have settling cages out, yet. Next year, we hope to have some chickens...eventually, I would like to free-range.

Any comments?

 

[scooter147]

We have a family of N. Harriers that hunt our farmyard. I looked them up and was really surprised at how little that they weigh. They certainly look bigger. I get to watch them a lot. Took me a while to identify them, the entire family has different coloring/size from each other.

I've seen them interacting with crows (who were not happy with the hawks, at all) and ducks, both while in the air. A group of ducks with a definite destination in mind dang near bowled one of the hawks out of the sky, because the hawk was gliding in the path. I've not seen an aerial attack on the ducks, but have noticed that the hawk just sort of glides behind them, as if escorting them through the hawk's territory.

The crows were upset, and there were a group of about ten crows that sort of surrounded the field that the hawk was glued to (nests?)...then they all sort of started flying around the hawk...nobody LOOKED aggressive in their flying, neither the hawk nor the crows, and after a while the crows left.

I have a couple of racing pigeon lofts,but we're new here and have not flown them, don't even have settling cages out, yet. Next year, we hope to have some chickens...eventually, I would like to free-range.

Any comments?

There isn't much you can do legally to get rid of them.

If you are going to have chickens then a run that is covered is the best option. I am overrun with Red Tailed Hawks and netting was the I had to go if I wanted to keep chickens.

I use to raise pigeons as well. All was well for numerous years and then a pair of Cooper's Hawks moved in and started picking them off one by one. I sold the remainder of my flock.

Hawks are a pain.

 

[microchick]

Something we have noticed is that we have a LOT of birds of prey around us, Red Tailed Hawks, smaller hawks and owls. During the winter we also have eagles. We also have a lot of Turkey Vultures.

Since we have been flying RC planes in our pastures along with some large gliders, the number of hawks that we have has diminished considerably. The Vultures are still around and are beautiful gliders. It's a kick to see a big fixed wing rc plane gliding on a thermal along with one of these huge birds.

One of our planes is an 'eagle' that I built for my husband. From the ground it can't be distinguished from a real bird of prey. Are the hawks finding it to be the dominant bird in the area and searching for better breeding spots? Maybe. I know it's realistic enough that the chickens yelp and run for cover when it flies over the barn.



We do have our run netted, though and the netting does work as I had to free a sparrow that got itself tangled up in it this morning. I just told my husband that if a hawk or owl got tangled up with it I'd just be making a call to the conservation dept to come and get it as they are protected in Missouri.

A shame we can't say the same thing about our chickens.

 

[scooter147]

Something we have noticed is that we have a LOT of birds of prey around us, Red Tailed Hawks, smaller hawks and owls. During the winter we also have eagles. We also have a lot of Turkey Vultures.

Since we have been flying RC planes in our pastures along with some large gliders, the number of hawks that we have has diminished considerably. The Vultures are still around and are beautiful gliders. It's a kick to see a big fixed wing rc plane gliding on a thermal along with one of these huge birds.

One of our planes is an 'eagle' that I built for my husband. From the ground it can't be distinguished from a real bird of prey. Are the hawks finding it to be the dominant bird in the area and searching for better breeding spots? Maybe. I know it's realistic enough that the chickens yelp and run for cover when it flies over the barn.



We do have our run netted, though and the netting does work as I had to free a sparrow that got itself tangled up in it this morning. I just told my husband that if a hawk or owl got tangled up with it I'd just be making a call to the conservation dept to come and get it as they are protected in Missouri.

A shame we can't say the same thing about our chickens.

I came home last winter and had a red tail tangled in my netting. He was dead, probably from shock.

I cut him out and he was literally skin on bones. He was extremely desperate and made an attempt to get to the chickens but it failed. Oh well.