Why would a hawk kill a chicken but not eat it?

[parvani]

No Worries. Where I am they are not protected. Cant touch an eagle but these guys can be taken care of to protect my livestock. He we released. Not harassed.

Thanks for the video. Oh my gosh, that is one TICKED OFF hawk!!!!

 

[bill3607]

No Worries. Where I am they are not protected. Cant touch an eagle but these guys can be taken care of to protect my livestock. He we released. Not harassed.

Unless the law has changed, and though I did not research it to see, it is illegal in the US to kill or harm a hawk unless you have a license to. Exception: you have a right to kill one to protect your animals on your property.

 

[centrarchid]

"Why would a hawk kill but not eat a chicken"
Answer, because I stupidly jumped on said hawk and caught it with my bare hands before it got a chance to eat my chicken. Probably not the brightest thing to do but I reacted out of instinct when a flash zipped by my head and my chicken exploded in a ball of feathers and blood. I pounced and then realized I had a live sharp shinned hawk in my hands that could do some serious and irreparable damage to my extremities. So I did what any normal, sane person would do held on for dear life until I could stuff it into a cat carrier. Got some super heavy duty leather gloves on and took this video.

The hawk in question appears to be an immature Coopers Hawk.

 

[centrarchid]

That's pretty much the question.

Backstory:

Today two of my cock/rells got into it with each other. The cock instigated it, but the cockrell was handedly winning. The cockrell walked off and a hawk came down on the presumably fairly injured cock, judging by the amount of the cock's blood on the cockrell... The hawk stayed on him for a bit but the cock wasn't torn open or eaten at all. My SO thinks it just took the hawk that long to kill him and he just didnt get around to eating him? The peacocks were harassing the hawk pretty bad, so maybe he decided it wasn't worth it?

Do we think he's more likely to come back since hes still hungry or less likely if he's realized my birds aren't an easy meal?

The hawk can be driven off a fresh or even a partially consumed kill to resume eating. Most of time the hawk will return. Most people are in habit of removing carcass upon finding it making so they do not see what the hawk normally does. Hawks also loose a carcass from time to time because a larger more dominant predator steals it. I have Great-horned Owls come in and much of the time a Red Fox comes in shortly after to go after chickens that got knocked off roost. I have also seen where Red Fox takes a carcass left by the owl. I am certain there are times in the fox drives owl off carcass when owl not motivated to fight for it.

 

[bill3607]

The hawk in question appears to be an immature Coopers Hawk.

Possibly. A Coopers Hawk and Sharp-Shinned Hawk can be tricky to tell apart.

 

[centrarchid]

Possibly. A Coopers Hawk and Sharp-Shinned Hawk can be tricky to tell apart.

They are easier to distinguish in flight, but Cooper has coarser / shorter looking legs. To my eyes that bird has chunkier legs. Have never seen a Sharp-shinned even attempt to take an adult standard sized chicken. I have only seen them go after smaller outright chicks and it is a struggle even then.

 

[bill3607]

They are easier to distinguish in flight, but Cooper has coarser / shorter looking legs. To my eyes that bird has chunkier legs. Have never seen a Sharp-shinned even attempt to take an adult standard sized chicken. I have only seen them go after smaller outright chicks and it is a struggle even then.

Yes, you probably right. The Cooper is usually larger. And, the legs are thicker, thus the name of the Sharp-Shinned. The coloring on the head and back of neck says Sharp-Shinned, though. But, the legs and length of tail, as well as the shape of the end of tail says Cooper. Beautiful bird either way.

 

[ackie]

The hawk can be driven off a fresh or even a partially consumed kill to resume eating. Most of time the hawk will return. Most people are in habit of removing carcass upon finding it making so they do not see what the hawk normally does. Hawks also loose a carcass from time to time because a larger more dominant predator steals it. I have Great-horned Owls come in and much of the time a Red Fox comes in shortly after to go after chickens that got knocked off roost. I have also seen where Red Fox takes a carcass left by the owl. I am certain there are times in the fox drives owl off carcass when owl not motivated to fight for it.

It was just so weird because a peacock was messing with him and he didnt leave and then he left seemingly randomly. but it was all right behind a bush so maybe I missed something.

 

[bill3607]

It was just so weird because a peacock was messing with him and he didnt leave and then he left seemingly randomly. but it was all right behind a bush so maybe I missed something.

Peacock probably flustered him a bit and the meal was too big to carry off, so he just left.

 

[aart]

No Worries. Where I am they are not protected. Cant touch an eagle but these guys can be taken care of to protect my livestock. He we released. Not harassed.

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