Home › Question of the week › What to do if you have a hawk in the yard

What to do if you have a hawk in the yard

Unknown Monday, August 12, 2013
I read about hawks on your website just now.  Sounds like I am to enjoy these in my yard, and surrounding yards for now. We have the sharp-shinned hawk. I live in Glasgow, Kentucky. First ones I saw came onto my deck. I took pictures.  We know there are 3 of them. There have been a hatching it seems. A neighbor saw a small one. We are seeing our bird population become less. We are all hoping they will move on soon. Thank you for your information.

 Native American folklore says: "If a hawk appears to you, then right now a clue about the magic of life is being presented. This magic can imbue you with the power to overcome a currently stressful or difficult situation."

You need to keep that in mind because if you feed birds long enough, a Hawk will likely show up sooner or later. Sometimes the hawk perches for a while. It is on those occasions that the phone at Wild Birds Unlimited starts ringing: "How can I get rid of this thing? It's killing my birds!" Of course that is what certain kinds of hawks do.

The most common neighborhood hawks are the sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks. They are usually woodland hunters, and with their habitat shrinking more sitings have been reported at well-stocked feeding stations. Hawks have to eat too, and whether they are hunting around your feeder or off in the woods, they are going to catch about the same amount of prey each day. Consider yourself lucky that you have a front row seat to one of nature's more dramatic dances.

Hawks are recognized as a beneficial bird by those in society that know their main diet consists of rodents, snakes, reptiles, large insects as well as a few birds. But if having a hawk blast through, scattering the birds and perhaps carting one off, is not the experience you want, there are a few precautions to protect your bird feeding station.

Some steps to take if you have hawks in your yard:
  • First and foremost, federal and state laws prohibit the capture, killing, or possession of hawks and owls. Raptors at bird feeding stations are a problem only when they perch nearby all day. The birds return as soon as the Hawk flys away. So rather than get upset, enjoy a close-up look at these magnificent birds while they are in your yard.
  • Place your feeders where there is ample natural protection. Evergreen shrubs and trees can provide an easy escape for the birds. If there is none available, consider planting a few varieties.
  • Lastly, acknowledge that a few birds and squirrels will be caught by Hawks at your feeders. This is part of the cycle. Raptors play an important role in controlling the populations. Also keep in mind; songbirds are difficult for hawks to catch. Few are caught by birds of prey.
  • Ultimately, the only thing you can do when a hawk comes to dinner is wait it out. Most hawks that settle in at feeders do so for two or three weeks and then they are off again to different territory. The presence of hawks at your feeders should in no way cause you to discontinue feeding birds. Just take a few simple steps to protect them and enjoy a season of bird feeding. 
Related Articles
    Blogger Template by BlogTusts Sticky Widget by Kang Is Published by GBT.
    Category ›

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)