Red Tailed Hawks

[Cuban Longtails]

Does the red tailed hawk hunt from the sky or from a perch?

One flew over my yard yesterday, at two different times, crying. The wind was semi-strong, it was a sunny but cold day. We were putting sheet metal on a new barn. The chickens were free ranging as usual, but most were "chilling" in the woods or under brush and tall grasses.

Prior to this, I've heard the cry of a hawk (so I knew one was near by) but I had not seen one for some time around my property.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Red-tailed hawks hunt from both soaring and perched positions.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I thought so, but my roommate said they only attacked from trees. And since he is male, you can't argue with them without proof.

 

[pooponshoe]

One got my 10 lb rooster. It flew away when I came outside, it still does a fly-by often.

 

[jjthink]

He went for a roo that large - wow. So sorry.......
JJ

 

[cknmom]

My DH hunts and has seen them hunt both ways.

Monica

 

[Dawn419]

We have them here and I have also seen them hunt both ways.

I was just telling Skip/doc_gonzo last night that I was thinking about letting our mixed Banty flock do a bit of free ranging in the evening. Instead of an answer, I got raised eye brows.

Sooo, I was just outside, doing my "chicken chores", when the main flock (we keep our Silkies in a seperate coop/run) started raising all sorts of heck. So I stop what I'm doing, go to investigate and lo and behold, I manage to interrupt a younger RTH sitting on the ground behind the main run.

Poor birds, it'll be another 6 months for me to get up the nerve to let them do any free ranging.

It kills me...I let my first flock (20 years ago) free range from sun-up until sun-down and never had a problem with it. I was living on 75 acres, on a dead-end road, in Jackson Co., TN then.

We live rurally now but the area is alot more civilized than the old farm. I haven't let the Banties free range because of stray dogs, mainly, although our Australian Shepherd does an excellent job at keeping pred's out of the yard.

Sorry for rambling!

Dawn

 

[wilds of pa]

a number of years back they where not protected so much(HAWKS & OWLS), so a lot where shot off.

Now they are protected in most states if not all and there numbers are growing....

ive herd of fish hatchery's in pa getting specail permits to kill off predatory birds that like to feed on the growing fish in the hatchery's, dont no what species these permits include though??

Charlie

 

[Scrambled Egg]

One was screaming for a chicken dinner from a tree in my front yard a couple weeks ago but one swooped down in my front yard a few years ago while in flight and grabbed a fat turtle dove. When my dachshund was a teeny puppy I watched her closely int he front yard too, afraid she would be grabbed up like a rat.

 

[Michael Apple]

I lost a few hens to red tails a couple years ago. I staked a small balloon with feathers taped to it out in the middle of the pasture. I tied it to the stake so it would flutter around like a bird in distress. I was patient for a few hours & down he came. The 12 gauge did the trick. To this day I tie some mylar tape to the trees in the area to repel hawks & most of my chickens stay near the tree covered areas.

I haven't seen a fox since I speared one & left it's carcass up in the field for the rest to see. With these predators I've noticed if you make them unwelcome they won't be around long.