![]() I have seen trained hunting hawks refuse game that is sitting in the open and not moving at all. They can make the chicken look injured or in trouble, which is too good for a raptor to pass up. Bathing, flapping, and other motion intense activities can trigger an attack. Raptors will trigger off of certain movements. Usually the birds that get caught are the ones hanging around in the open. Being sight predators, if the hawk cannot see the poultry, or does not have a "clear shot" at it, it will not attack. Hawks and falcons, usually eat the head/breast first, and then work over the rest of the bird. If you check below nearby trees, and telephone poles you may find a pile of feathers, and other “leftovers”. If you find the bird missing all together, and you are raising smaller birds, then a hawk may also be to blame. This is especially true if the prey animal is too big to carry off. If you find a large quantity of feathers surrounding the kill site, it is a telltale sign that the culprit is a hawk or falcon. How to tell if a raptor has killed a bird:Īll of the hawks and falcons once catching a prey bird, will start to pluck. I am not going to go into too much detail about identifying the raptors, because there are many different species, and some of them are geographically isolated. I urge and encourage you to use this as an absolute last option. Occasionally you can get a depredation permit to shoot a bird of prey if they have caused significant loss of property. If you have a predatory bird that you cannot protect against, your local Wildlife Division may be able to assist you in removing the bird. This is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $200,000 fine. I first want to state that IT IS A FEDERAL CRIME TO KILL ANY BIRD OF PREY. I will attempt here to create a general guide to avoid these predators, and keep your birds safe. I have been working with birds of prey for over 15 years, and have learned a few things. I have seen plenty of people asking about keeping their birds safe from avian predators.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |