Do aviaries attract hawks?

[volvoben]

It'll be a few years before we have a yard to build a loft, but my girlfriend and I have been debating on whether the little aviaries that extend from most modern lofts attract hawks.

I assumed it wasn't a big issue since every loft you see these days has some sort of screened in "aviary" or perhaps more accurately "sunning area", but she believes in the old school loft design where there's a screened in area on the roof of the loft that the birds are only let onto when they won't be flying outside. She almost shuttered when I mentioned perhaps the stock birds could have a larger outdoor pen area since they don't get to fly free.

The argument has been good natured, but she did call me "PETA", and I did call her "Seal Hunter".

Her idea does seem logical, hawks see birds sittin' around, they stick around to see if there's a meal in it for them, thus making it difficult to let the birds fly. Perhaps birds immediately go inside if they see a hawk?

[Skyeking]

I'm sure just having pigeons attract the hawks, and they do make the rounds wherever a potential meal is available. Pigeons are considered their favorite meal.

If you keep pigeons you will eventually have hawks around. If they are able to see them from the air they will come and if they fly outside, they will come.

My pigeons have access to a large open aviary because they don't get outside, but at times we do have hawks crashing into the aviary wire, but since they don't fly outside it is not a problem. The pigeons also know before I even see a hawk because they make a hasty retreat inside the coop.

I think, if you fly your birds, you should allow them to sun in some type aviary, which can be covered. If you have pigeons that don't fly they should have a nice large aviary to fly in. Even my Satinette's have a nice aviary to sun in.

I think it is a good idea to minimize the advertising from the air by building an aviary with a solid roof that the hawks cannot see them from when they fly overhead, that may keep them away when the birds are inside, but once you allow your birds to fly outside they will eventually come around anyway.

I believe that having an open attached aviary is not what is inviting to the hawks although they do see it as inviting, but before I even flew birds and had my breeding stock only ,they lived within a coop which was solid on three sides and only screened on the front windows and door and hawks even then would sit out front my coop and make flying lunges at the screened door My guess is other then having great eyes their hearing must be very keen as well and attrached them to the pigeon sounds within the loft I do however believe that an avairy is a must and is the best place for giving them thier freash air ,sunshine and bathtime so as not to creat any type of water build up which dampness is a major no no in the pigeon loft but thats just my advice oh and my birds always know when a hawk is about as well and head right inside the loft and out of sight

[fearle55]

very good information

[plamenh]

Your girlfriend is right but for different reasons.
Aviary will attract other birds too. Birds tend to be attracted by food sources. Spilled seeds, even the ones who stick to your shoes when you walk in and out are food. Besides birds, who can move closer to your house, it may be some rodents who will come along. So hawks will come not only to watch your birds through the mesh, but also to clean area from mice and rats. Most people forget that hawk’s main food source is not birds, but rodents. Keeping your yard clean of seeds and making proper construction of the aviary may attract occasionally some predator, but if there is no food, it will move on.

[Naunnie]

Very nicely put Plamenh. Most of the hawks we see around here are trying to get the smaller mammals. It's not uncommon for a hawk to "oversee" my gardens, waiting on a rabbit! Anyway...Volvoben, I think providing your birds with ample flight space as well as keeping the area rodent proof makes for healthier birds. Healthy birds have a better chance surviving any predator.

[Msfreebird]

As I was sitting on my back deck yesterday (beautiful sunny warm day!) watching my birds - 3 huge hawks appeared out of nowhere and was circling over my flight cage All my birds immediately flew inside the loft! (its hard for my birds to see the "full" sky - pine branches hang over the roof of the flight cage)- I kept the branches there to deter "dive bomb attacks"
I ran in the house to get my camera - after tripping over the dogs and cats, by the time I got back outside they had moved out a little further over the corn field behind my house, so- no pictures!
Thinking back, just before the hawks appeared, birds were singing and flying thru the yard. Then the crows started screeching - then there was dead silence while the hawks were circling. Love those crows

[Tennman1]

I tried an experiment before I got some birds. I built the loft and the hawks never payed it any mind, then I put birds in it and the hawks noticed. So, NO, aviaries don't attract hawks, sorry, I'm in a mood today..... But, great information!!!!!

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by Tennman1

I tried an experiment before I got some birds. I built the loft and the hawks never payed it any mind, then I put birds in it and the hawks noticed. So, NO, aviaries don't attract hawks, sorry, I'm in a mood today..... But, great information!!!!!

LOL Cute, VERY cute!!! LOL

[spirit wings]

Do aviaries attract hawks?

no... the birds do, whether they are in an aviary or not.

my mother in law has budgies in a spare room and she has seen a hawk hanging from the screen from the window to the room. so you have birds they will come, does not matter sometimes where they are kept. pigeons are healthier IMO when they have fresh air and sunshine.