# serious hawk problem



## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

Ok folks,I really need some advice again! I feed a flock of pidge every morning,and I do obviously get an occasional hawk even though I live in town. He got one a couple weeks back that ended up dying.Today a MUCH bigger hawk was here.He grabbed one and even though I ran out to spook him off he flew off w/ the pigeon a few streets over and I couldnt do anything about it.I guess he came back later in the day but left empty handed.Its not our usual hawk,and also not the coopers hawk i see once in a while.This thing was big and new to the area.I live in Maine and we have a huge storm coming,maybe the hawk senses it and is eatting heavy in case he doesnt get to for a few days.But seriously what do I do.Should i stop feeding the pidge?seems too bad to have to do that but at the same time,I get super freaked out when i see him get one.thanks in advance. Lisa .


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## bluecheck (Aug 17, 2006)

You can vary times when you feed the birds, that should help a bit. But remember, pigeons are a prey species and hawks/falcons are predators. They both need to eat to live.


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2010)

Feeding pigeons at different times of the day might help a little, but once a hawk finds a food source especially in the winter its hard to work around them in the means of avoiding them .. here at my loft I get visits all thru out the day so I would imagine it would be the same anywhere people are feeding wild pigeons too  there is really no safe way to keep them from being exposed to the dangers out there where ever they may be especailly for the ferals, but its also hard not to feed them during the winter months when you know they need it the most ... sorry I know I was of very little help but I know how you must feel when you lose a little friend


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## Birdman79 (Aug 9, 2007)

Could it be a goshawk???


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

im not sure what kind of hawk he is.I know this guy is huge like nearly 2 feet.He is brown & white and speckled.The pigeons have altered their schedule lately.they dont come the second daylight is here anymore,they come a couple hours later.i probably cant change the feed time overall because i feed b4 my neighbors are up to see me(hehe) ......*sigh* just not sure what to think.


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## Flamingo (Dec 30, 2009)

Unfortunately where there are Pigeons there are hawks. At the Flamingo Loft we use an air horn. It is a can of pressurized air with a horn on it. Boats use them and they can be bought at Wal-Mart. It will scare the pigeons as well but they will get used to it. The hawks do not like it. It breaks their concentration. Good Luck


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i think me running at them screaming HAWK!!!HAWK!!! over and over works pretty good, i have saved a squirrel being pursued around a tree by one once, i just keep harassing them and they get sick of me and move on, cause the crazy lady is messing up their hunting.
i know they are out there when the bird feeders are deserted and things go silent.
sounds like a redtail to me btw, they are huge, the girls are anyways


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

If you are feeding them at a regular time, switch the time up (significantly...like by a few hours....not just by 20-30 mins). Also, can you move the location a bit....even a half-block or something.... If he still appears, just stop feeding for several days. 
If it's a new hawk, he may yet have figured that it is a regular feeding spot. Coulda been a redtail.....
And...yeah, yeah....hawks gotta eat too and blah blah blah blah blah blah....but they can go do it somewhere else if there's any way I can help it......

(BTW...air horn, great idea...I'm gonna go get me one of those .....)


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Air horn is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it. min


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

yeah i have freaked out the hawks MANY times with chasing or yelling,but cant always get to em.air horn thing wouldnt really work for me-all my neighbors are so close,mostly elders.....not sure what i am going to do.i also work 3 days a week and did come home a couple times to a pile of feathers.I feed everything i see just about -i have tons of jays and squirrels coming for nuts,pidge,chickadees,cardinals,so many nice birds.


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## Flamingo (Dec 30, 2009)

pigeon_is_love said:


> yeah i have freaked out the hawks MANY times with chasing or yelling,but cant always get to em.air horn thing wouldnt really work for me-all my neighbors are so close,mostly elders.....not sure what i am going to do.i also work 3 days a week and did come home a couple times to a pile of feathers.I feed everything i see just about -i have tons of jays and squirrels coming for nuts,pidge,chickadees,cardinals,so many nice birds.


Aquote from the Lion King " Its the Circle of Life ". Unfortunate but true. I have the same problem with the hawks. No Legal way to remove them. I know someone that has geese decoys and he says that they work. Must move them around every day.


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Someone also has said if you have a lot of crows that will keep the hawks away also. Since your feeding all kinds of birds hopefully you will get the black crows to come and dine also. min


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## Flamingo (Dec 30, 2009)

Mindy said:


> Someone also has said if you have a lot of crows that will keep the hawks away also. Since your feeding all kinds of birds hopefully you will get the black crows to come and dine also. min


 That is correct. I have seen crows chase hawks away. Crows are good!


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## shalimar (Nov 23, 2009)

Read your post and the other replies... sounds like a Coopers hawk... regarding the crows.... hawks do not like them...... I do know.... crows especially like peanuts unsalted in the shells... as you can tell I feed the crows....also corn.. good luck...


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Crows like dry cat food too and Cherios.


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## Gnuretiree (May 29, 2009)

Crows also prey on song bird nests in the spring. I can't bring myself to encourage them to hang around my yard. It is a no win situation - Do you think your hawk could be red tail? Did it catch the pigeon on the fly?


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## BTut (Oct 18, 2009)

Buy a crow call and learn the crow language (Distress call) Blow a crow call if you bring crows into the area they will keep the hawk busy while you feed the birds thats what i do before i fly my birds

Bill T


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## pouletchalet (Jan 8, 2009)

I would move where you feed the birds every week if you can. That is your best option. Preditors will quickly habituate to an area if it is a smorgasbord. Ravens are fine for determent but they will go after babies. I rehab wildlife including pigeons and we HAVE to vary our release sites. The hawks and other preditors will just keep coming as it is a natural behavior for them...part of that "circle of life". We have to keep in mind how much us humans greatly alter that circle!


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## Ricky52 (Mar 17, 2009)

Even if there are crows/ravens around, hawks generally fly under the radar. Unless they're up in the air gliding around, they're usually not detected. Best thing is to buy one of those plastic owls and set it on the eve of your roof or something. Birds will eventually get used to it.


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

*i do get crows....*

yeah the hawk did catch the bird in flight.I only got a small handful of pidge this morning and they were SOO nervous.I went out and fed them in them and they came in while i was still there,im guessing because they felt safer.About crows.This is actually a town where maybe thousands of crows have started gathering in the winter over the last few years.I toss handfuls of peanuts out all the time so I get a few crows.One of the days the hawk missed all the pigeons ,he landed in a tree and 3 crows flew in near him.they didnt spook him off-i was assuming they were there for the leftovers.I dont really think he was a coopers hawk,we do have one of those occasionally.He is much smaller.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Well, were i live in Illinois, we have Sharpshined, (next smallest to Cooper's here.) but i have never seen them hit my birds, AND unless it was on take off or landing when the hit started it was neither. most likely a Peregrine... Dave


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