# Hawk Attacked Parrot ..



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Click on the link to see a video of Bogart ..

Terry
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http://www.news-journalonline.com/media/video/news/bogart080907.htm

August 09, 2007 

Family's pet parrot survives encounter with hawk 

By ANNE GEGGIS 
Staff Writer 

ORMOND BEACH -- African grey parrot Bogart can talk, but he hasn't yet said a word about an incident most of his kind never live to contemplate.

What happened between the time a hawk ripped him from a screened-in porch and when his human -- the one he calls "Mom" -- Elise Ewaniuk found him lying under a tree in the thick woods probably went beyond words.

On Bogart's seventh visit to the veterinarian in a row Wednesday, the prognosis for survival was good -- even if he might always carry the scars. His veterinarian, Dr. Mark Andersen, isn't sure whether Bogart's neck will ever straighten.

And Ewaniuk hasn't quite recovered herself.

"Four days have been like four months," she said.

It all started in the early afternoon Aug. 2 when Bogart was sitting on a perch on the Ewaniuk family's screened pool deck of their home in north Ormond Beach. Then, Ewaniuk heard screaming -- but she didn't know it was her beloved "little man."

"It sounded like something scared, something being attacked," Ewaniuk said of what brought her from her home office to investigate. "I came walking out because we have a bunch of baby (wild) turkeys back there."

What she saw, though, was beyond her imagination -- and something she still sees when she closes her eyes: her pet in the talons of a hawk.

"He was just heading from the screen into the sky," Ewaniuk said. "I thought, 'He's gone. He's got him.' "

The hawk, it appears, had been able to burst through a small tear about the size of a softball in the screen and grabbed the bird known among the Ewaniuk family's friends for asking, "You talking to me?"

Ewaniuk said she ran back in the house for her shoes, ready to run into the forest behind her house.

"I guess I was going in there to see if I could find him eating him," she said.

She ran 20 feet and saw her feathered child lying under a tree.

"I couldn't believe it. I don't even know what made me run in that direction," she said, explaining that she had seen the bird fly in the opposite direction.

Bogart was rushed to Ravenwood Veterinary Clinic in Port Orange. There, he received oxygen, antibiotics and painkillers. He spent a few nights in an incubator.

"He certainly is lucky," said veterinarian Andersen. "Most attacks like that . . . I've seen birds with the wings torn off, their legs torn off.

"The bird (hawk) was probably startled by screaming and yelling," Andersen said.

He advised people not to leave their exotic birds on a porch or outside unattended.

"If they see a bird in a cage, they will reach right into the cage," Andersen said.

For now, when Bogart's not resting on her chest, Ewaniuk keeps the feathered patient in a makeshift structure formed of blankets and pillows on the sofa. She can't wait until he's back to his old tricks: chasing people out of the kitchen while laughing, attacking her husband even as he mimics Bogart's voice and insisting that Ewaniuk take a shower.

Tuesday she knew he was back on the road to recovery when he took the first sip of his favorite liquid treat: hot coffee with cream and sugar. Hope that he would be back to his old self blossomed moments after Ewaniuk brought Bogart home.

"I put him down and he said, "C'mere."

[email protected]


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Think About This*

Here is something else to ponder.........have you or a friend lossed a cat or small dog the toy type these animals disapear from back yards and people scour the neigborhood and never find their pet many of these are carried off by hawks (RED TAILS) its something to think about. GEORGE


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That is quite an eye opener. I'm glad Bogart is doing better.

I hope everyone thinks twice about leaving any pet, bird or other, unattended. It's just amazing how aggressive hawks are becoming.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

What a story, Terry. Seems to me I remember a story you posted about a year
or two ago about a school that had a couple of birds inside a cage in the
classroom and a hawk flew into the room right in front of the kids and did
just as this story describes--reached into the cage to get the bird.

How terrifying for Bogart, he sounds just adorable. 
Glad to hear he survived the attack and is making
steady gains in his recovery. Coffee, huh? Where's that
list?

fp


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Yes, a local day care where a friend of mine works had a hawk fly right into a classroom through an open door and attack some parakeets in a cage .. did some serious damage to the little 'keets and scared the kids and adults witless.

I, too, wondered about the wisdom of letting Bogart have coffee.

Terry


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

That Bogart is one incredibly lucky bird!!!


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

Our vet actually told us that if we know of anyone in our area that has very small pets to stay outside with them as Redtails have been seen takkng off with small dogs and cats. 

Cindy


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*Goodness*

Gee, I just got finished putting up a thread about a tame rosella here in Tasmania that now sit's on my Mums hand and comes to feed from a bowl she holds up and then I saw this one further down. This very same Rosella was attacked by a hawk in our back paddock and my husband only just saved it's life in time. My hubby saw a tussle going on in the reeds and took his shirt off as he rain and he scared the hawk off and the parrot was tangled in the reeds and the reeds had wrapped around the parrot so that it's wings were pinned to it's body. This Rosella was otherwise pretty much unharmed and was able to be released back to it's flock after two days. We live next door to my mum, she is half a mile up the road and a flock of 16 parrots feed at both our houses each day. We kept and eye on this parrot as it had a shredded tail feather. That parrot never forgot us. And it turned out to be male and is the head of the flock. It is now tame. - anyway the story of our dear parrot, a wild bird who still remembers who saved him is in this section too.

love and light
Susan in Tasmania Australia xxxx


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

That's terrifying. I did NOT know they would come into a building or enclosure to nab prey


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

Thank you for posting this, My parrot was in our screened in sunroom up until just a few minutes ago when I brought him in the living room. He is a macaw so I am not sure that a hawk could lift him but I am SURE not going to risk it. That must have been so scary. I probably wouldn't have run back in for my shoes though. I would have just run to save my bird but that is just me. 
If a hawk can get a dog or cat can they get an infant child? I haven't heard of any doing this but they are getting so aggressive, they also seem to be getting bigger we might end up with some human killers on our hands. I was just talking to my mother in law who was in tears because she feeds a small flock of birds on her farm. Mostly mourning doves and ferals and she was just outside and a hawk grabbed a dove, I was on the phone and she just started screaming. Unbelievable the thing came right next to her.  Terrible.


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

I have a thread up in endangered species about an all white Goshawk that there are only about 220 left in the world - and one is nesting across the road from my property. *But if you scroll down you will see some very close shots of a magnificent brown Goshawk*. They hit our windows constantly - lured in by the sound of my 8 talking starlings and a blackbird - who are in cages on wheels and rolled up to get the sun at the windows. I often hear the European Blackbird (my bewwwtiful Chook the male blackbird) let out it's PANIC CALL and I RUN. A few seconds later BAMMMMMMMMM - A hawk hits the window
*
We had a WEDGETAIL EAGLE HIT OUR WINDOW* - it was a glass sliding door and it sounded like someone threw the larged bag of potatoes at the door - I ran and there, sitting at the door was the hugest Wedgetail Eagle. It stayed about 5 seconds and then flew away and I couldn't believe the wingspan. It hit again, lured by the sound of my talking birdies who are so loud you can hear them about 500 metres away. 

No hawk has ever killed or maimed itself and we have coloured prayer flags up across all the sections of our house that the hawks hit and this has stopped them for now. But if you look at the endangered thread, one was stunned for 10 minutes and we were able to get to within a foot of this bird and take some amazing photos. Magnificent bird! But so glad my birdies were not lunch for him.

We heard on Starling Talk of a woman who lost her pet starling who was on the deck in a cage. A hawk got it and only a part of her beloved bird was left behind. I now NEVER EVER, put my birds out on the deck in their cages. If it is not a hawk that will make a try it is a snake here. I would advise all who do live in areas where hawks are, should really consider never putting them out in screened areas or on decks and porches, regardless of how thin the cage bars could be - just my humble suggestion. 

love and light
Susan in Tasmania xxxx


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

WOW! Wedgetail eagles are big and very aggressive!


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

Indeed Terri

Mum who lives next door has a blind wallaby that has safe haven in her garden and she only just saved it from a Wedgetail that was only a few feet away. She only just scared it off in time and Mum says it is the biggest Eagle she had EVER seen. Of course our wallaby didn't know what was happening. It was blind from birth and was a sitting target for a bird of prey so Mum caught it and it lives in her fenced in yard. I have put piccys up of Wally the blind wallaby somewhere on one of these threads.

love and light
Susan in Tasmania xxxx


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Hi Susan,

Just a question about the blind Wallaby. Even though it lives in your Mom's fenced in yard, isn't there STILL a danger that a hawk could come down and get it???  

Hugs & Scritches

Shi


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*indeed!!*

*Shri yes indeed.* It's a very good observation on your part. My Mum is 67 and has a pacemaker and as such is home all day long. She watches over the wallaby in the day and if it is in an open area too long, will herd it into it's shelter and it has made 2 under shelter places that it spends most of it's time under. This is due to it not wanting to get wet. They hate getting wet and it rains a lot here. Mum's garden is about 50 years old and all one side is thick dense shrubs and bushes and Wally knows how to go in there and stay there. 

Wally has now grown to the size that it is too big to be taken by a Goshawk. One of those rare endangered all white ones sat on Mums fence and sized up wally, she got this on film and it was evident, that Wally is now too big.

*BUT NOT TOO BIG for a Wedgetail, not yet. * A few months ago, Mum on her watch over Wally (she has given him safe haven for 2 years now) saw to her horror the hugest wedgetail ever seen by her in her yard stalking up to wally. She ran to the door, it was locked, she fumbled with the keys and she started screaming and banging, finally got the door open and tore down her steps and the Wedgetail took off - Wally was scared too - he had no idea what was happening. Mum said she would have died there on the spot of a heart attack if she did not have a pacemaker.

The 'parks and wildlife' rangers wanted to put Wally down. My Mum refused. She said we do not put down blind humans do we and I will watch over him and give him the best life he can have - if I think he is sickening or in danger she said "I will take him in my air conditioned car to the vet and I will remain with him to make sure he is put down humanely - I do not care what it costs - I will pay if this is what is needed" - this after she saw him load another wallaby into a sack and throw it on the back of his truck in the blazing sun and was told it was to be shot. Mum stood her ground and got permission to keep Wally. And when they ranger next called he could not believe how big and healthy he had grown and how he had obviously worked out the layout of her yard. 

Mum has told herself that she must realise that it is possible that one day, a Wedgetail may get Wally, though no wedgetail has been near her yard since. Wally has a shelter mum constructed and she now only has to say "Food Wally" and he goes under his shelter - remembering this is a very wild animal, don't be put off by it's cuteness, we cannot and will not touch him - he is untameable. I have some recent photos. Also I have learned that often a Wedgetail will drop a wallaby (of this type) because they hiss and rip out and they have torn humans legs and arms apart, you cannot underestimate how strong they are. I have seen them fight and I have had to catch one. They are wallabies that can kill a human. 

*Wally still gets to interact with other wallabies* as Mum lives right by a creek where they come at night. It's mother we believe still comes to the wire as do others and they sniff and 'talk' I guess. Wally is very healthy and we are not sorry that we stood up for him. They live about 5 years. In the wild a sighted wallaby can be taken by a Wedgetail - but so far, My Mum has saved his life twice. She just yesterday gave me these photos. They were taken in the last week or so









such a wonderful sight, Wally under the shelter Mum built him, he has learned to go to it.


















he is so very healthy, he will soon moult into his Summer coat









Do not be fooled. He looks cute and cuddly and kissable. He would rip the face off anyone who tried. Just like our brushtail possums here, except they are tameable unlike this Pademelon (the name of it here, it is the aboriginal name)
The other issue here is that the forestry industries are illegally baiting wallabies and rabbits, possums with 10.80 laced baits. It's illegal in every other state of Australia as it is indiscriminate and also kills birds of prey, wombats, even Tasmanian Devils which are in real trouble here at the moment and being wiped out in the hundreds. In Mums garden, there is no poison. I on the other hand have found 3 dead wallabies in my yard, they have taken baits and then died on our land - my property is bigger and sighted wallabies jump a fence without thinking. I am fighting this hard and protesting about it. I am not the only one, there is a large group of us who wont stop till 10/80 is stopped completely.

I hope that Shri that puts your mind to rest a little. We have worked so hard to train a wild animal to go under shelter if we see a circling bird of prey. He cannot be seen under his shelter or under the bushes he likes to sit under for most of the time. We can only do what we can, but so far, Wally is healthy and happy. 

love and light 
Susan in Tasmania xxxx


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

I should explain that the wallaby uses it's VERY thick tail for balance and kicks out with both back feet and you can see how big the nails are there. They can sever the artery of a person very easily. They actually use just their tail for balance and can rip out with all 4 arms and legs at the same time. This is what makes them so tough and able to do great damage. 

People often do not realise that a kangaroo and a wallaby can do that, balance on the tail only and use all appendages to fight.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

What beautiful, delicate ears they have! Glad to know they are such tough critters. Sure hope you are successful in your fight against the poisonings!!!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

What interesting and informative posts, Susan! ESPECIALLY, since we don't have Wallys and Kangaroos here.

Your Mom sure is TERRIFIC! I am so glad she was able to keep Wally! 

I wish a long life for him and he sure couldn't be in better hands! Bet he will live more than 5 years!

I, too, wish everyone all the best if fighting those poisons! We sure have our poison problems here! How anyone can use something like that and see these animals and birds die horrible deaths is beyond me!! 

I have often thought that justice would be much better served if the people committing crimes against people and animals would be suffering the same fate as their victims! Bet the crime rate would really drop!

Hugs and Scritches

Shi 

P.S. Every time I think "Australia," I am reminded of a book that resonates with me still, called "Mutant Message Down Under," by Marlo Morgan. The story is "supposedly" fiction...but has a very powerful message...for all of us...


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