Should I be worried about Northern Harriers?

[Trish1974]

I don't know much about this bird of prey. I usually don't see them until fall, and even then its not too often. The past 3 evenings when I've had my flock out for supervised free ranging I've seen a male northern harrier fly over them. To me it doesn't look like he's paying attention to them, but my rooster begs to differ. They are kept in a secured covered run. I don't let them out if I can't be out with them because the fox are thick in my area and run all hours of the day and night. But I am no help with aerial predators since it seems to take me awhile to see what the flock sees and is screaming about. If NHs are considered a "chicken hawk" species, on lock down they will go.

 

[WthrLady]

Our GNH never bother the chickens. They're more interested in field mice, squirrels, rabbits, and snakes.

The rooster treats them as a threat, which is always a good idea anyway.

 

[Trish1974]

Thats good to know, thanks!

 

[WthrLady]

I'm not saying they won't get really hungry or have a nest of 200 babies to feed at get starved and take any food they see....but mostly, for their giant size, they go after rodents and sometimes birds. Our neighbor saw them yank a small duck off the lake. But like I said, the chickens treat them as danger, so there's a head start. They can't be missed in the sky, that's for darn sure. Mine only sometimes run from vultures.

But they always run from helicopters. Go figure

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Harriers are not considered a "Chicken Hawk" They generally never venture South of the Kentucky state line.