# hawks



## TylerBro (Mar 14, 2011)

I've been reading a lot and now I fear for my soon to be flock ..anyone have ideas on humane hawk fears ..


----------



## Pigeonmumbler (Jun 6, 2010)

Hello Tylerbro, 

I wrote a article on Hawk Deterrents on my Website, I hope it may give you a few Ideas! 
Click the Banner Below… Good luck


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

https://sites.google.com/site/pigeonmumbler/links/maintenance-more/hawk-deterrent-test

There's the direct link to Louie's article. 

Only one sure way to keep hawks away. Barring that...in addition to the article above here are some things which have been quasi-effective:

~ In addition to Owl calls.... also pre-recorded Raven/Crow calls (or if you can actually draw Corvids to the area...they like messing w/hawks). 

~ air horns (the piercing hi-pitched kind)

~ mirrors near the loft entrances and exits (Jedd's has something called a gazer ball/globe which can be erected in these locations)

~ stringing up CD's on a line so they blow in the wind and reflect, at critical locations bear the loft.

~ vigilance: if you see one hanging around ONCE....you better bet it's hanging around all the time, and scaring it off just ONCE won't deter it....

~ altering times: this might be anathema to a flying loft..but...if a hawk keys in on the schedule of a flock (when they go out, when they come in, when/where they feed/forage, when they rest and sun themselves, etc)...they will show up and just wait. So, jogging the times around a bit has also been suggested by some....


----------



## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

My resident hawk seems to visit me around 10am to 11am........I try not to have my birds out at this time...A few days ago,I made a mistake...I let my 6 extra OB hens out to fly..2hrs later only 5 came back....I let them out at 10:45.....My fault !!.....Alamo


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

same here... letting them out mid noon has been working out for me here.....


----------



## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Gotta keep sliding that time, though....and keep an eye out, don't slip...the hawk will catch on to a new time eventually if it is not shifted again....


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jaye said:


> Gotta keep sliding that time, though....and keep an eye out, don't slip...the hawk will catch on to a new time eventually if it is not shifted again....


true..they get wise to a schedule.... mine are not everyday and I mix the days..


----------



## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

Alamo said:


> My resident hawk seems to visit me around 10am to 11am........I try not to have my birds out at this time...A few days ago,I made a mistake...I let my 6 extra OB hens out to fly..2hrs later only 5 came back....I let them out at 10:45.....My fault !!.....Alamo


i have been blessed to raise/have homers for eight years now,--i too-used to allow my inside birds out--unfortunately-yes it was dinner time,-so they became indoor birds,-in these years i have seen my protected flock outside come under attack--the hawks are so focused on their prey they cannot see the wire,-or when feeding the ferrals -a hawk sneaks in and makes off with two pigeons,,they will even sit and wait in the adjoining trees--they are very patient --i did abolish my no fly zone--,anyway this is my experience with hawks-sincerely james waller


----------



## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

Well the only way to be TRULY safe is to not fly at all. But when you have a breed like homers, or a performing breed like highflyers like I do its hard to just keep them locked down all the time. Here is what I do:

1. Fly my birds.
2. If a hawk attacks, go on lockdown for a week.
3. Fly again.
4. If a hawk attacks again, go on lock down for 2 weeks.
5. Fly again.
6. If a hawk attacks again, go on lock down for another 2 weeks.
7. If a hawk attacks yet again, I don't fly for the rest of the season.

Now keep in mind that I keep pakistani highflyers and all my birds are imported directly from Pakistan 5-8 years ago. They're all worth a lot so if I get too many losses, I don't fly cause each pigeon is worth a lot. 

Now homers are very quick pigeons, usually they CAN not saying they WILL but they CAN out fly the hawks sometimes so you might have better luck with homers.

The way i see it:

High Flyers: Protected because they fly so high and sometimes hawks don't fly high.
Homers: Have the speed, agility, and strength to out fly a hawk usually.

Other flying breeds are at a greater risk than these 2.


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Why not keep the imported ones as prisoners and fly the babies?



The more your birds are exposed to hawks, the more experience they will have with escaping them. Young birds are very easily caught. But by the time they are yearlings, they should be pretty hawk smart (at least around here, living in the middle of trees, and surrounded by more trees and open fields). It doesn't matter how long or how often you go on lockdown. If you have a flying breed and they get up above the trees, the hawks will see them, and they will come back. Hawks don't stop me from flying my birds. It's been a really long time since I've lost one of my OBs to a hawk (knock on wood).

The best advice I can give is don't fly any birds you receive or buy, until you have a set of breeders set up. Once you have a few pairs (or however many you can keep/want), then you can fly some babies people give you. That way you don't risk losing all your new birds, from one or two hawk attacks. By doing this, you'll have some breeders to build up your flock again.
Be very careful when they are young. Don't let them stay out for too long. Get them out and flying, then call them right back in with food. If they aren't going to fly, or if they are going to just sit in a tree or on top of the loft, get them back inside. They are nothing but sitting ducks when they're on top of the loft, in a tree, etc. Besides inside the loft, the safest place they can be is in the air.
Alternating times is a good idea. CD's only work for so long (in my case, a week or two at the most). Owl statues and goose decoys are great, if you move them at LEAST every three days. Real geese, I have found, are the best for chasing away hawks  Because they don't just harrass them like crows....they literally chase them, in the air, away from your yard.


----------



## Gnuretiree (May 29, 2009)

Tomorrow I am probably going to be letting my homers out for the first time since before Thanksgiving. The first race the end of next month, so they need a little time on the wing to get ready. I have not seen a hawk here in a long time, so I'm hoping they've forgotten about my birds.. .at least until they get back into good flying form.


----------



## The_Dirteeone (Apr 18, 2010)

That is just part of it.If you get a bad one that keeps returning,you gotta decide,dont fly Em or do something about the darn pest.I am not saying hurt or kill the hawk,but to each his own.I am personally not going to allow something,protected or not to hurt my birds for long.


----------



## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

MaryOfExeter said:


> Why not keep the imported ones as prisoners and fly the babies?



Because I only have 3 pairs and a hen remaining from the original stock so even their young are pretty important for another 3-4 years until I rebuild the stock


----------



## BBpigeons (Mar 11, 2011)

the hawks are bad here all year around. There will be 3 or 4 hawks at a time chasing the birds


----------



## robruger1 (May 30, 2007)

Try if possible to have your loft as far from any trees as possible. 50ft is ok, further is better. They always wait in the trees for the pigeons to come back from flying and ambush. Most of my losses have been close to the loft.


----------



## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

If you have Homers,and they are trained,you can let them out real late in the day,or let them out at sunrise...After they fly,call them in...Always let them out when they are HUNGRY..That way,they land on the loft,and enter for their meal....Alamo

PS: Late in the day is 30 to 45 minutes before dusk !!!


----------



## blkramhemi (Sep 21, 2007)

Yeah all of my attacks have been close to the loft also,... i actually saved my almond roller hen, she landed on the left side of my house, not the loft.. facing my loft. on my left side i see this dark brown shadow swoop, and i here this pop, by this time im near the left side of the house, they were restling on the roof, falling to the ground near my feet, i shooded he or she away, surprised the crap out of me, no tallon marks, she later laid two young for me...


----------



## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

Hawks suck. I loss Over eight birds just last year, and my birds are still under lock down right now. I just lost one of my favorite cock birds this spring, when I thought it was okay to start flying again, but I was wrong. 
It was a nice warm day, and the small birds were loud. He was a 2010 young cock and had a young hen in the nest waiting to lay, but it was a beautiful day out and I was so tempted to fly my four birds, so I let them go about a hour before sun set. Once they were in the sky I saw a hawk after them up in the sky, and that got me nervous. The group went up higher and scattered. 
One of my young hens, (a hawk survivor) came down shortly after the hawk sighting, and bam out of nowhere, a hawk struck her to the ground. There must have been more than a single hawk because it the other one was far away and that one hawk just appeared from a near tree. I ran towards the hawk, and he took off. That young hen was really smart because she did not take off away from the loft, but she came towards me and ran as fast as her legs could take her into the loft. I was relived that she came down and escaped. 
The one that I least would want to get attacked was my black young cock. I flew him with his father, brother, and that one young hen. I waited impatiently looking up to the sky for about fifteen mins and i saw a black pigeon circling near ground. My heart was rushing for him to come back to the loft but he just flew over the horizon and disappeared. About five mins after, I saw a pigeon sprinting around like crazy, and he circled and flew dropped right on to the trap and immediately went in. He was flying for his life because he was panting when he trapped in. I was hoping for it to be the young black cock, but it turned out to be his brother.
As the time passed I had a really bad feeling that the young black cock was gone, because his father was a pro at escaping hawks. I waited about twenty mins later and it was getting dark outside. Absolutely out of nowhere I heard a pigeon drop onto the landing board and into the loft and it was the black ones father. What a ninja, he is my longest bird I've had and he must have escaped over ten hawks. 
I was certain that the young black cock that i raised for about 9 months had fallen victim to a hawk. He just paired up to the love of his life and just about to have a family of his own, and all that is now ruined, because of that one mistake. The hawks around my area are nasty, they hunt until dark sometimes, and I have had two times when My whole flock flew off to find a resting spot over night because they were scared away from the loft even when it was dark. You can tell that your birds have sighted a hawk when they are nervous to stay outside and rush to be in the loft, and when they trap extremely quick. I am not flying my old birds anymore this season, and i am waiting for them to breed me some babies, then I will train and fly the young ones. 
Here is one of my favorite young black cock that i sure was attacked. RIP boy


----------



## TylerBro (Mar 14, 2011)

See that sucks .. hawks where cool but not now .. I think I need some crow nesting boxes in my yard and ill welcome them with open arms to battle hawks


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

Your Guys Should Consider Of Learning And Flying Rc Planes Or Rc Helicopter And Scare The Crap Out Of The Hawk , It Works And Been Done Many Times , Make Your Own Drone (predator) After A While They Will Think Twice Of Coming Around Your Loft


----------



## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

Rafael/PR said:


> Your Guys Should Consider Of Learning And Flying Rc Planes Or Rc Helicopter And Scare The Crap Out Of The Hawk , It Works And Been Done Many Times , Make Your Own Drone (predator) After A While They Will Think Twice Of Coming Around Your Loft


I had the same exact idea in my mind, but the problem is it probably will to be too slow for the hawk, and my area has a lot of trees so it would be hard to maneuver it. Nice idea though


----------



## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

TylerBro said:


> I've been reading a lot and now I fear for my soon to be flock ..anyone have ideas on humane hawk fears ..


Study the flying time pattern of the hawks in your area and let your birds out either before or after that hour to avoid any attacks...Thats what I did in my area...


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

slow , slow are you kidding? pigeonx you better get up to date the rc , today plane could go up to 300 mile an
hour here some links for youhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oix6sHKzOLU andhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oNsAJTUcFg just to give you a idea of the RC planes today, hawk cant out fly these guys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTHWBSluUjU&feature=related


----------



## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

Lol my bad, I thought you needed a lot of space to fly rc planes, but I checked out your links and that is pretty sweet. I wish I could fly myself..ha ha. So do you use that method to rid your hawk problems?


----------



## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

Pegasus said:


> Study the flying time pattern of the hawks in your area and let your birds out either before or after that hour to avoid any attacks...Thats what I did in my area...


Excellent advise. Gardeners avoid certain pest insects with latter planting dates. I find this whole "the hawk is bad" to be an exact parallel to ranchers and wolfs. Wolfs are needed and so are hawks. A whole lot more education on the natural order of things should be undertaken by many here. What is that thing about history repeating it's self? I live in the heart of down town and have a Coopers hawk a Red tail hawk with a few Kestrels all hunting my yard. They only want food. And if it were available elsewhere that is where they would be. It's really that simple.


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

not yet i have a helicopter ,funny too its call predator ,no but my friend did in NJ and it work and was funny to watch , hawk are not fast when they take off from the ground or from a tree, also here in pr we don't have crows but we do have a small bird that chase the hawk away if they come to close to there nesting area they are very agile because they eat insects in the are like bees


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

I lost 6 birds this month alone. That is the result from falcon attacks and a pair of hawks that made my neighbor's tree their home. I have been on a lockdown for quite awhile. I probably tried many things already and I am sad to say that they are only temporary fix to discourage hawks. Luckily for me I have attracted a pair of crows that is making my other next door neighbor's tree as their nesting site. Thus far I haven't seen the hawks, but the crows are attacking my birds. Hopefully the crows will get the understanding that my birds are friends. I have attracted the crows by putting my pigeon eggs on the yard.


----------



## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

if a hawk ever goes after your pigeons have a bird lock down secure your aviary from any attack because when there's one hawk,eagle,butcher bird or magpie there's usually a lot more


----------



## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

also beware of falcons


----------



## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

when the birds find out about your birds if they are new to your neighborhood BE ON THE LOOKOUT


----------



## Jimbo113 (Mar 17, 2011)

It would be against the law to chase them with RC planes or helicopters. Would sure be fun but it could land you in hot water too. The little Sharp Shins are the ones that give me grief in this area. Lockdowns sure help but it's still a roll of the dice to turn a kit of rollers out when the air sharks are in the area.


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

I Don't Worry About That Where I Live, Either Way The Fed Gov Sooner Or Later Will Have To Do Something Because There Nothing That Controlling There Population , Just Like The Deers We Have More Deers Now Then Every In The U.S HISTORY Because We Kill Off MOUNTAIN LION AND WOLF.
SO NO MATTER WHAT THE HAWK POPULATION IS GOING UP. IT KILLS WHAT EVER FLY IN THE AIR INCLUDING RARE BIRDS THAT IS IN DANGER OF BECOMING EXTINCT LIKE THE PUERTO RICO PARROT, AS OF 2008 THERE AROUND 200 LEFT , WE DO HAVE REDTAIL HAWK DOWN HERE AND 3 OTHER TYPE OF HAWK AND PEOPLE HERE ARE GETTING FED-UP WITH THEM BECAUSE LOT OF PEOPLE RAISE CHICKENS AND THEY ATTACK THE BABY CHICKS , LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING IT VERY SAD WHEN A HAWK PICK UP A BABY CHICK AND YOU HEAR IT CRYING


----------



## blkramhemi (Sep 21, 2007)

We all know the hawks need to eat, law of nature etc. though reinstating falcons and hawks that were victims of chemical spraying... whos idea was that? well guys here it is there were so many complaints from people and companys about the ferals destroying property that made the higher powered scentist ( ie jurassic park ) reinstate the preditor raptors... now there over populating areas were they shouldnt be, our backyards.... i have to explain to my little girls, not to get attached cause white wing may not come back... thats not cool ata all.... just my 2 cents...


----------



## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

Jimbo113 said:


> It would be against the law to chase them with RC planes or helicopters. .


And if they don't have a FCC licence to operate the radio controlled aircraft that's two felonies.  It's really not worth it.


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

*not every state require a fcc permit to fly a rc plane*

Rpalmer that law is maybe in your state but not here in P.R or nyc and the only time you need a permit if you are taking aerial photo , just to prove my point . check this out. and at the end of the video notice the cop?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9cSxEqKQ78


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Rafael/PR said:


> Rpalmer that law is maybe in your state but not here in P.R or nyc and the only time you need a permit if you are taking aerial photo , just to prove my point . check this out. and at the end of the video notice the cop?[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9cSxEqKQ78


my x hubby used to fly those and he did not need any liscence... you can fly them whenever..and pehaps a hawk just may be around..


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

lol, nice,=)


----------



## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

Lost 2 this week due to Mr Hawk. The one from yesterday was weird. My wife found dry blood today on the hood of my car with a gray feather. I knew it was my bird. Then feathers going down the block. It had to be my check hen. Today while walking my dog it kept sniffing under my van. Which it was also doing it yesterday. Decided to look. There it was stiff as a log. If it could of walk one foot more I would of saw it and maybe saved it. At least Mr. Hawk didn't get it. Sucks.


----------



## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

JRNY said:


> Lost 2 this week due to Mr Hawk. The one from yesterday was weird. My wife found dry blood today on the hood of my car with a gray feather. I knew it was my bird. Then feathers going down the block. It had to be my check hen. Today while walking my dog it kept sniffing under my van. Which it was also doing it yesterday. Decided to look. There it was stiff as a log. If it could of walk one foot more I would of saw it and maybe saved it. At least Mr. Hawk didn't get it. Sucks.


Lost also this week and have my 2 cents to add. I was P'Od and did some searching on the puter on hawk attacks and low and behold everyone is complaining on the attacks from the chicken/duck people to the backyard birdfeeders and even people worried about thier cats and small dogs. Now I have but two questions, if a fox was eating someone's chickens or wolf was eating someone's sheep or a mountain lion was eating someone's cattle what would be done? Hell if a bear goes into town and eats the garbage 3 times what happens ? I will not say anymore as you can see I am still very much P'Od.
Kurps


----------



## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

*P/m*

Sent you a P/M


----------



## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Hawks are protected And have made a good come back. They hunt for food. And loft flown birds are and easyer target. Because the circle and circle there loft area. Where the hawk could be miles away and see this and make it to your loft. Plus after finding such a place the hwak knows to return.. Most every person who flys the birds will get hit from time to time.. Years ago you could fly your birds alday and never see a hwak in many places. But now thats different. We must live with it May not like it But must understand nature has no law. It just is. When a person trys and is aware looking at sighns they will not see as many loses. But yet will still see a few. Some places hawks get very bad almost stopping flying for a time. But agin Nature is something that exsists and canot be blamed but just lived with.


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Hawk's comeback is a result of human interference. Once they almost become extinct scientists bred them while stopping the use of that DDT chemical. Basically we created a problem of using chemical that make their eggshells thin and easily crack so now we are making an amends. Now, have we upset the balance of nature? I don't know. From my experience I encounter more hawks and falcons than usual.


----------



## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

your right RodSd, they did made a big come back , just like the buffalos that use to be protected now hunting is allow thought a lottery to cut down the herd and now they are also raiseing them now for us to eat at the restaurant, They should do a lottery system for hunters to hunt for hawks too to keep the population in check , even nyc are starting to have problem with hawks, I livethere for 50 year in nyc and never saw hawk there, now it common to see them, Im a hunter and im good with a bow , if they ever allow us to hunt for hawks in the future i going to make a indian war bonnet like this one,out of one of them , =)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gilcrease_-_Federkopfschmuck.jpg


----------



## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

With all these hawks you would think the feral flocks would be decimated.


----------



## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

Funny thing 6 blocks away there are about 200 to 400 at a time of ferals. That they feed at this house. But they get my birds. Just dont get it.


----------



## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

all my pigeons nearly got taken out by two eagles two weeks ago so i had to have a lockdown


----------



## pidgey boy (Dec 23, 2010)

I'm going to get another breed of pigeons to breed soon what breed should i get king pigeons fantails what should i get?


----------



## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

I hope this may help some. No guarantees.

http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com/all/video-hawk-control


----------



## Hallzy91 (Mar 20, 2011)

yesterday 5 hawks flew over my apartment in a group.
And today I just saw a red tail hawk attack a random bird flying over the highway.


----------



## robruger1 (May 30, 2007)

doubtful and doubtful
You don't understand hawks nature, this is obvious to anyone who does know.


----------



## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

For the folks that are wondering why the wild pigeons are not bothered that much..I give you this little tidbit...We as fanciers,have all these bautifull birds,with all these beautifull colors,that stand out amonst the trees,roofs,ground and the sky....Then you have all those dirty/dark/black feathered pigeons that just blend in to the color of the shingles on rooftops etc....It took me a few years to realize this,when I went to a womans home,who fed the wild ones everyday...She used 50 lbs of feed a week,that`s how many pigeons she was feeding..I happen to see a couple of RC`s in the group on her house..I wanted to know if they were banded...They were not....But then when she threw the feed down,I noticed only 1 nice BB...No light BC`s.....6 RC`s.....all the rest from about 200 to 250 birds,were all DC`s or Blacks.....Where are the WF`s...Splashes....Grizzles ????...Well,they stand out like sore thumbs,so they are not living.....The RC`s were real dark reds,no bands on any of them...The lady did tell me there used to be 3 all White ones with bands....And after a week or so,they were gone...What`s funny,or maybe not,she has never seen a hawk attack to any of these birds at her home...And they hang out there just about all day long....Alamo


----------



## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

First I would like to comment on the above posting by Alamo.

I find your reasoning and story, as making a lot of sense and I am sure you are on to something there. However, the nature lover in me has to think that hawks have such good eyesight that the blending in of pigeons with the ground, rooftops or whatever, is probably not what stops them from attacking feral pigeons. Additionally, I have provided links in the past on this forum, to studies done by a university whereupon they concluded that feral pigeons with a white patch at their rump, would be targeted less by hawks, than those that did not have this "white patch" on the top of their rumps (at the base of the tail feathers). They even caught the darker pigeons and painted white patches on them and caught white patched feral pigeons and darkened the white patch, to see if it was actually the patch that was "protecting" the white patched pigeons from attacks, and they concluded that indeed, feral pigeons with a white patch at the base of their tails were targeted and caught, less often than feral pigeons without the white patch. Their conclusion was based on actual attacks observed and dead pigeons found after being caught by hawks. This study was apparently done with one large feral colony at a certain bridge location, well known as a large feral flock for may years. It is an interesting study and as such, I have tried to pay attention to my own racers with and without this white patch, that have failed to come home from training tosses and races. That universities conclusion "seems" to hold out with my own resutls, but when a bird does not come home, their are a multitude of reaons that may come into play. Therefore making my own observations just anecdotal.

Now to my "strange" sighting of today:

I had my young birds out and as usual I was "babysiting" them. I heard some crow calls off to the east and turned to look that way. Didn't see any crows or anything else in the sky. There were only a couple of "calls" and I hear them around here often, so I didn't pay too much attention to them.

A minute later I observed a lone hawk riding the currents just about 500 feet high. It slowly meandered its way to my property. Didn't seem to be looking at my birds on the roof, but my birds diffinitely were looking at it. As usual when I see a hawk circling my area, I stood near my lofts and I grabbed a tennis ball in my right hand (throwing arm)and a fishing net in my left. Just in case.

Anyway, the strange part was that this hawk climbed another 500 feet or so (just by riding the currents), and would suddenly dive halfway down, pull up and ride back up to the approximately 1000 foot height. Then it repeated this behavior numerous times.

I did not see anything else in the sky and the hawk never got close to ground or tree top level. It seemed to me that it was practicing its diving technique. But the thought also occurred to me that it might be doing those numerous dives as a way to trick/training my pigeons into thinking that if they saw it diving, that it was not attacking them. I was thinking, "hmmm...this hawk is smart. He is "training" my pigeons that a hawk diving is not a threat".

Anyway, I probably give Mr. Hawk too much credit.  It probably was just diving on something and when it got closer, realized that the "something" was not worth continuing the dive after.

But it was interesting.

It never came after my birds, which were obviously seen by it. Maybe seeing me there also, kept him from coming after them.


----------



## Hallzy91 (Mar 20, 2011)

robruger1 said:


> doubtful and doubtful
> You don't understand hawks nature, this is obvious to anyone who does know.


Lol I am just telling you what I saw man, this isn't just made up. 
I was very shocked myself to see this site. 
At first I was on my balcony haven a smoke and from a distance I spotted a hawk up high up in scouting mode, I starred at it for about 30 seconds and then my girlfriend notice 4 more flying high up just souring over the apartments slowly. I know they were hawks because I have alot of wild pigeons that live on the apartment and they were all flying then gone in moments before I seen the hawks. My girlfriend was standing close to the balcony railing and a pigeon darted straight down past her face to get as low as possible.


----------



## rx9s (Oct 19, 2007)

Were did you get the CD OF THE OWL NOISE.I Want to try it.Hawk hit one of my bird this weekend.



Pigeonmumbler said:


> Hello Tylerbro,
> 
> I wrote a article on Hawk Deterrents on my Website, I hope it may give you a few Ideas!
> Click the Banner Below… Good luck


----------



## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

I still believe that loft pigeons who fly in a group in circles around the loft . Attract attenion from coopers and such. As they can be seen at a distance. Where ferals often are not group flying in a circle for a time. And far as noted colors among the different flocks of ferals that may go with a given area and given group. Many here a bar and check. Then black pied almost white and ash red. And not knowing how many a hawk will get of them It would be a hard staudy as her I would several thousand ferals live in different groups. Where your loft birds you know when a hawk gets one most often except on a race then that is a guess. As a hwak finds your loft and birds it is going to come back for a hunt. Even if you do not fly your birds you will see a hawk visiting your loft from time to time.. And even starlings panic when a cooper is around. They let you know to look around. Todays times hawks in some areas get rather plentyful. But most hunt alone. Kites will group as they do not bother pigeons And sure drive other hunting hawks away. Natural color of the pigeon is a dirty blue bar perhaps seen less in flight. And birds in flight have a better chance then ones sitting during an attack. But I am sure ferals get hit more then loft birds just know one notices as much. Robins get hit Do not know of much that can be done except check befor you release. And hold birds like rollers and such until after hawk season as they are easy targets when they roll. And percent wise Say you are flying 100 birds and say 4 get hit in 1 year That is a small number. I used this as the last birds I had was 100 and only lost 4 in a year to known hawk attacks.


----------



## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

I once saw a hawk make two passes or attacks to wild pigeons hanging out on wires right beside a large bridge...The pigeons never flew,and the hawk went away....I think the hawk was afraid of getting hurt on the wires...His attacks/passes were within 100 feet or less of the pigeons & wires.....They might be smarter then some humans...But how about the wild pigeons ?? They never moved off the wires,even though the hawk made two runs at them....Alamo


----------



## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

I've had a cooper go after my OB's almost everytime I let them out for the past couple of weeks. He hasn't gotten any and really doesn't seamed to be trying all that hard to get them either but he dives within feet of me to try and hit the birds on the coop. These coopers around here now aren't scared of anything. But most guys are taking a beating I know of one guy where the hawks got 6 of his ob's already 3 of them being his top 3 birds. They are talking about changing the schedule for next year so the season starts at the end of April instead of the middle of April since the hawks are killing most of the guys around here.


----------



## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

As for the color of the ferals around here they are all colors. Especially down by the beaches Jones Beach and Fire Island I'd say almost half of them are splashes. I always go down there and feed the feral which I and most other pigeon flyers around here call park rats. I always catch the guys with the fishing string stuck on their feet and cut it off so they don't lose their toes or feet. Somtimes they are really bad and I'm there for a half hour cutting it all off without messing up their foot anymore they it already is. But every once in a while I catch a banded bird down there and most of the time they are pretty far from home. There was actually two times where I caught birds with Great Britain bands on them. I'm pretty sure they must have landed on ships gong through the English Channel that were on their way to NYC and when they see land they leave the boat and since Long Island is the first land they've seen in days they wind up here. One actually had it's tips stamped saying somthing about Buckingham Palace. That was about 13 years ago when I was 17 I kept that one without calling to see who the owner was the other one I called and found the owner and he was amazed the bird was all the way over here in the United States.


----------



## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

At pigeon watch... http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pigeonwatch they say that pigeons mate with like colour birds. This is just one of the things they are looking for answers for.


----------



## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

A minute later I observed a lone hawk riding the currents just about 500 feet high. It slowly meandered its way to my property. Didn't seem to be looking at my birds on the roof, but my birds diffinitely were looking at it. As usual when I see a hawk circling my area, I stood near my lofts and I grabbed a tennis ball in my right hand (throwing arm)and a fishing net in my left. Just in case.

Anyway, the strange part was that this hawk climbed another 500 feet or so (just by riding the currents), and would suddenly dive halfway down, pull up and ride back up to the approximately 1000 foot height. Then it repeated this behavior numerous times.

I did not see anything else in the sky and the hawk never got close to ground or tree top level. It seemed to me that it was practicing its diving technique. But the thought also occurred to me that it might be doing those numerous dives as a way to trick/training my pigeons into thinking that if they saw it diving, that it was not attacking them. I was thinking, "hmmm...this hawk is smart. He is "training" my pigeons that a hawk diving is not a threat".
"Conditionfreak Qoute"




I have seen this quite often and I do believe the hawk is trying to spook it's prey out of hiding. I have also seen two do it together in the spring which I believe is a mating ritual which is obvious. Lastly I have seen it towards the end of summer/fall which appears to be young one's just starting to learn how to fly/hunt. IMO
Kurps


----------



## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

I have noticed my all white birds, when in a coop with colored birds, "tend" to mate up with all white mates. Haven't noticed a preference with checks, bars or reds though.

But any color looks good at 2:30 am. Bar closing time. 

I have a male Catalonian that has mated up with a male silver homer. They take turns being "on top". Kind of funny and kind of sad. 

I have too many cock birds. At least that is a pair I won't have to pitch eggs from.

A hawk circled my area gain while my birds were out, and did not attempt a strike. Maybe had already eaten or maybe afraid of me. One thing I am sure of is that it wasn't afraid of my pigeons.

Speaking of which. It would be nice if one of you came up with a breed of "kung fu pigeon", to handle these hawks. I'd buy a half dozen from you, at one hundred dollars per bird.  Especially if they were normal looking blue bars.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

feral pigeons breed like bunnies.. it just SEEMS like they don't get hit...lol...


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

I myself wondered why hawks don't bother feral pigeons that much. Now I must admit that I had feral birds now myself which I fly and surprisingly hawks hit them equally. So maybe, just maybe, our birds look healthier and plum and they probably taste better so the hawk prefers them. Our loft is probably some five-star restaurant. The ferals I fly now were my rescued birds. They looked crap, skinny when I got them. Now they look beautiful, clean (bath once a week) and plum.


----------



## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

I went to a fellow flyers home today and when I arrived, a Red Tail hawk landed in a tree near his home. He has a nice lot with a large pond on it. One pair of geese and one pair of Wood Ducks.

I pointed out the hawk in the tree and he said that two days ago it got one of his young birds and took it into a tree. He managed to make it drop the pigeon but it died from mortal wounds shortly after he got it from the hawk. He told me that one day ago, this same hawk (apparently the same hawk) got another but as soon as the hawk got the young pigeon, some crows attacked the hawk and made it drop the bird. He got it and it is doing okay. He showed it to me because it was a bird he just got from me one week ago.

So anyway, I observed these two geese (small in size) and the two ducks, on the ground right in front of this hawk in the tree. I asked the friend if the hawks ever go after the ducks and he said they never have. He has had numerous hawk attacks but they never go after the ducks.

I wonder why? Seems to me that a duck would be an easy kill for a Red Tail. The ducks were not even near the water when I was there.

This flyer says he experiences a hawk attack every single time he lets his birds out.

He has a lot of birds.


----------



## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

conditionfreak said:


> I went to a fellow flyers home today and when I arrived, a Red Tail hawk landed in a tree near his home. He has a nice lot with a large pond on it. One pair of geese and one pair of Wood Ducks.
> 
> I pointed out the hawk in the tree and he said that two days ago it got one of his young birds and took it into a tree. He managed to make it drop the pigeon but it died from mortal wounds shortly after he got it from the hawk. He told me that one day ago, this same hawk (apparently the same hawk) got another but as soon as the hawk got the young pigeon, some crows attacked the hawk and made it drop the bird. He got it and it is doing okay. He showed it to me because it was a bird he just got from me one week ago.
> 
> ...


 Hawks yeah I hate them alot , they hit my birds everytime they are out too, lost 4 birds this week alone ,two fly offs and two carried offs . The reason ferals dont get hit as much is because they are always on the move where as our birds are pretty kuch stationary always returning to the same spot which makes it easier for the hawks to find time and time again .I could deal with every other species of hawk around here but those coopers are like pigeon seeking missiles ,its never ending .


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

Here is one of my favorite young black cock that i sure was attacked. RIP boy









Man- what a nice looking bird. I can see why he is/was your favorite.


----------



## blacksheep (May 8, 2010)

*Pigeon attack study*

Conditionfreak,

Very interesting study, with scientific facts to back. If I am understanding correctly, the birds with white patches were attached less and got away more so than their peers.

Perhaps the white patch help the bird disapear in flight while the hawk is in pursuit. The only thing the hawk has to focus on are wings which are flapping quite rapidly, turning them into a blur. Then there is the tail. But even with that, the tail disapears at the correct angle. 

My hypothesis, the white patch works like a camoflage against the blue/white sky. I would surely throw my hands up in the air if I were chasing something with everything I had and just as I was in arms reach, only to have it disapear and then reappear 40 yards away.


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

I read that study a few weeks ago, and as I recall, they also suspected that the white patch was confusing or hypnotically distracting to the hawks.


----------



## aslan1 (Jul 22, 2010)

RodSD said:


> I myself wondered why hawks don't bother feral pigeons that much. Now I must admit that I had feral birds now myself which I fly and surprisingly hawks hit them equally. So maybe, just maybe, our birds look healthier and plum and they probably taste better so the hawk prefers them. Our loft is probably some five-star restaurant. The ferals I fly now were my rescued birds. They looked crap, skinny when I got them. Now they look beautiful, clean (bath once a week) and plum.


I think our pigeons get hit more because they are easier to catch. BOP are very smart predators. Every predator goes after weakest prey thats how nature works. It's like comparing a dog with a wolf. Who would survive in the wild?


----------



## fireman (Apr 2, 2011)

Very good post!


----------



## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

Good point- the ferals don't have human interference factoring into their "breeding program". It is a simple matter of whoever survived to reproduce passing on whatever genetics helped them to make it past the hawks and other hazards. Plus just living without the protection of the loft will make them more aware, cautious, etc.


----------

