Red tail hawks are toying with me and terrorizing my flock!

[sorce]

Some info.

http://hawksaloft.org/category/hawk-talk-ask-an-expert/

Sorce

 

[My Chicken Friends]

A quick question. Do hawks tend to “circle” similar to buzzards on occasion? I have noticed a bird circling above sometimes, but I don’t know enough about hawk behavior or even what they look like flying to know if it’s a hawk or not. I definitely recognize them sitting on the power lines alongside the big fields and also flying in a straight line over my back yard to their nest in a large tree on the back of our property.

It won’t matter if it is a hawk or not. We have had red and black headed vulchers that have circled above, of which two of the black headed vulchers attacked my chickens last year. Hawks, vulchers, eagles, owls. They all will circle and hone in closer and closer if they think they can get an easy meal. They have great patience waiting for the perfect chicken dinner opportunity. (Not including raccoons, possum, Fox, coyotes and minx.) chickens are not safe. It’s been 3 weeks. My lady bird is doing much better. But as stated by another - she nearly looks like a walking zombie.

 

[Fintechie]

I had a close look at our residence hawk, it is a peregrine falcon with distinctive barred pattern on his/her belly. So far the hawk came every few days, it dived sometimes. My chickens made high pitch calls and ran for the fence or rose bush. We got out and the hawk left. The chickens reeled from the scare from next 5-10 minutes then resume their normal day...

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

http://hawksaloft.org/category/hawk-talk-ask-an-expert/

Sorce

I did not know of those people, but I like it. I live too far away sadface

 

[Chickassan]

Lol, they use the term raptorphiles.
It sounds like hawk Chris Hanson is waiting to ask you to have a seat once you look towards the skies.

Some info.

http://hawksaloft.org/category/hawk-talk-ask-an-expert/

Sorce

 

[Miks]

So just had an attack by a huge hawk on my coop. It flew into the screen hard but the hardware cloth didn’t even budge (I used screws and reinforced it everywhere). Then it walked behind the new addition out of site then attempted to break in again in the same location. When it all failed my husband spotted it on top of the roof. It flew off when it heard me coming. Everyone is safe, but they were all pretty scared. I wish I could figure out how to upload the video. We’re all happy to know our hard work paid of!!! Hawk-0, Chicken Palace-1

 

[Folly's place]

It's good to win!
Mary

 

[Fintechie]

@Miks, good job! The hawk sounds desperate to me. or is it? We had a peregrine falcon came around three times different day/time, or as we spotted. Last time it dived really low, my flock either fought off or the hawk gave up. It has the size of a crow.

 

[Miks]

So I couldn’t upload the video so I took snapshots of the hawk just before it hit the coop from the video so I could share them here. I hope this works. This is the photo of it swooping in. I placed an arrow over it.

 

[Miks]

Here are two more photos.