Hawk Attack!!!

[Amitesh]

I recently got two young homers about three weeks ago and yesterday was their first day out. From what I could tell they loved it lol. So I let them out again today. They flew around a bit and then took a break and were resting on the roof of the shed. I was directly beneath them cleaning their loft when I heard flapping wings, and above me not more than 3 feet I would say was a huge hawk!!! My birds flew to the ground and I yelled at the hawk and it went away. I am pretty sure it was a Cooper's Hawk. But I am just happy and very grateful that the hawk didnt get any of the birds. I have been reading about other hawk attacks and from what I have read, is that people dont let the birds out for a period of time. I am wondering if I should do this. But on the other hand I do not wan the birds to get too eager the next time they come out, and fly off too far. Can anyone give me some advice please? Thank You

[Southwing]

Glad they made it, those hawks will only get worse and more brave. I have had them come at birds within 1 ft from me. Good luck

Southwing

[sky tx]

Yep--you have got to decide---fly pigeons or feed Hawks...In Texas we fly/race pigeons. We relocate the Hawks----Don't ask how

[sky tx]

http://www.raptorsnest.com/misc/gostrap

[Charis]

Don't let your birds out.

[Charis]

Originally Posted by sky tx

http://www.raptorsnest.com/misc/gostrap

Not so sure this is legal and sure wouldn't want to advise a 15 year old to trap a Hawk anyway.

[sky tx]

Its a Federal offense-----Jail time
But if you have Racing birds---what for/just look at them in a coop?

yeh, I know it is hard to tell when the hawk is coming to get the baby pigeon. Last few day ago, my brother cleaned the loft and he lets our few baby out the little hen got by the hawk and it took away. It was sad and we thought the little hen would be our champion. But we have no luck to keep it.

[feralpigeon]

I think Pidgey made a hawk trap and turned the hawk over to someone
qualified/licensed to relocate a raptor. At any rate, think of how animals are trained.....food is frequently an incentive. If you train this hawk to think your
place=food, the hawk will stick around. Take it from the ferals...they will cool
off on a location if a hawk is 'hanging'. When the hawk moves on, they come back to their old haunt....

fp

[Big T]

Originally Posted by Amitesh

I recently got two young homers about three weeks ago and yesterday was their first day out. From what I could tell they loved it lol. So I let them out again today. They flew around a bit and then took a break and were resting on the roof of the shed. I was directly beneath them cleaning their loft when I heard flapping wings, and above me not more than 3 feet I would say was a huge hawk!!! My birds flew to the ground and I yelled at the hawk and it went away. I am pretty sure it was a Cooper's Hawk. But I am just happy and very grateful that the hawk didnt get any of the birds. I have been reading about other hawk attacks and from what I have read, is that people dont let the birds out for a period of time. I am wondering if I should do this. But on the other hand I do not wan the birds to get too eager the next time they come out, and fly off too far. Can anyone give me some advice please? Thank You

First, know your hawk. What kind of hawks do you have and since it is migration time is it passing thru or one that plans to stay a while? A Cooper uses ambush to attack so they hide in woods and sit a wait for their food. Facons use speed and hight, they soar high and fly over looking for food.

For a cooper, open area around the loft away from trees is good. Pay attention to the wildlife, if the squirrels and birds are out and about then your pigeons can fly. Never fly the day of or after bad weather. Wildlife covers during bad weather but Hawks still must eat. Give them the chance to eat before letting your birds out.

Most recommend not having a bird feeder because attracting birds is attracting hawks, but having birds is already an attactor, so I use a bird feeder to gage the wild birds. If they are playing and eating then the cooper is not around. No birds at my feeder, no pigeons released.

I find road training is the best for my birds. They are easy prey when they are sitting on the roof for any hawk. But with road releases they fly until they are ready to come home then quickly trap to eat. If I loft fly, it is late on a clear day when chances are the hawks have fed and the wildlife is around.

Listen for warnings for squirrels, bluejays, crows. They will tell you if there is trouble but you must listen.

Train your birds, never release them after baths or feedings. Only release them hungry and train them to a bell, can, some kind of noise that brings them in when you call. Feed them enough but remove any excess after ten to fifteen minutes after you call. If one of your pigeons doesn't come in too bad. He will learn if he wants to eat.

I can only advise you on what I know about coopers because I have a pair the nested this summer in my neighborhood. Watching and learning about them taught me certain signs to look for.

Hope this helps, this is all I will tell you here,
God Bless and good luck,
Tony

[JohnG]

Take some regular CDs from your house put some on your fly pens. Put some in a tree so they reflect the sun, the hawks dont like shiny things ,this will keep them at bay for awhile so you can get the birds out and ready to train.

[altgirl35]

i gets hawks also , i also pay attention to what the wildlife are doing, and every time i hear silence out there i go out try to spot the hawk and chase him off screaming HAWK!! HAWK!! over and over and throwing rocks, i'm sure the neighbors think i'm completly nuts, i have messed up several close calls for squirrels and chipmunks just as they were ready to be grabbed.
i keep hoping that the hawk will realize this is not a good place to hunt, and they seem to move on because i'm pestering them, luckily i havn't lost any of my wild birds that i have released that i know of anyways.
i like the cd idea

[Big T]

Originally Posted by altgirl35

i gets hawks also , i also pay attention to what the wildlife are doing, and every time i hear silence out there i go out try to spot the hawk and chase him off screaming HAWK!! HAWK!! over and over and throwing rocks, i'm sure the neighbors think i'm completly nuts, i have messed up several close calls for squirrels and chipmunks just as they were ready to be grabbed.
i keep hoping that the hawk will realize this is not a good place to hunt, and they seem to move on because i'm pestering them, luckily i havn't lost any of my wild birds that i have released that i know of anyways.
i like the cd idea

Believe it or not what you are doing is a good idea for coopers. They hunt by ambush. You disrupt the hunt by bringing attention to the hawk the same way crows, and mockingbirds do with their screaming and flying at the hawk. Do this enough and the hawk will learn to fly away when it sees you. This in turns allows your birds to fly as long as you stay out with them. I know because my local coopers now will not let me come close to them.
Note: my coopers can tell people apart. They fly away when they see me because of my disruption of their hunting, but sat in a tree over my wife's head for over an hour until I came outside.

As for CDs, fake owls, or fake geese; this only works if you keep moving them in and out, relocate, and change the area around. If you just keep them out then the hawk learns they are not a threat and therefore continues to hunt for easy food. The best plan is to put out the stuff when you fly the birds and put it up when you are done.

God Bless,
Tony

[altgirl35]

i don't have a loft, but i do have ferals that i have raised that come to eat everyday, along with other species of songbirds, the coopers are the biggest threat to the birds i have released because they prefer birds over rodents, my hope with my yelling at them is that the wild babies i have released learn that those big birds are dangerous and they better either lie low or get out of the area because they didn't have their parents to teach them. they see me doing it when they are in the aviary. sometimes i'm in the aviary feeding or watering and they freeze and look up so i know one is around, so i go out, spot it and do the hawk hawk freak out, lol
the red tails seem to go after the red and gray squirrels and chipmunks, i had one come down and take a little chippie from under my feeder less than 3 feet away from me.
and i do have 2 young squirrels that i will be releasing in a month or so and i fear for them.
don't get me wrong i like hawks and owls and have saved them, they are pretty cool and i know they need to eat to, but i would never release one here and i don't want them hanging out here either.

[Columba livia!]

So, should we let our pigeons out, or keep them in over fall and winter? If you were to keep them in, when should you let them out when spring comes along. I don't home my birds, I just let them out to chill on the house roof for a few hours; then they return to the loft. they don't go far at all, just in my yard. Haven't had a hawk problem yet, but I haven't tried to keep pigeons in fall and winter either. Thanks for any advice.