Raptors Hunting Birds and Pets
Birds of Prey Often Hunt at Backyard Birdfeeders and May Take Pets
When raptors threaten family pets and backyard songbirds, we need to take precautions and learn tolerance for these vulnerable large birds.
Raptors Hunting Birds and Pets
As raptors recover from their population slump of the twentieth century, they are becoming ever more common in urban and suburban environments. Today in North America, American Kestrels, Bald Eagles, Barred Owls, Cooper’s Hawks, Great Horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks, and Sharp-shinned Hawks are all commonly seen in and around human communities. It’s not uncommon for a hawk or other bird of prey to take songbirds at backyard birdfeeders, or small animals and pets that enjoy outdoor freedom.
Birds of prey are attracted to certain features in the landscape:
- Food sources – wild birds, rodents, rabbits, chickens, snakes, insects, other small animals.
- Water, such as swimming pools, streams, and ponds, because water attracts prey species as well.
- High perches where the birds can safely rest and view the ground.
- Large cavities, which serve as hiding places and possibly nesting sites.
The measures available to a property owner when birds of prey hunt in the backyard are limited. In a nutshell, humans must change their behavior and leave the birds alone.
Protected raptors
In both the United States and Canada, and in many other countries as well, all raptors are protected by law. It’s illegal to hunt or trap them without a permit. You may not shoot, injure, disturb or harass a raptor. You may not interfere with nests, or collect feathers or any other part of the bird. In short, raptors must be left strictly alone.
Raptors hunting at birdfeeders
There are two possible approaches when a bird of prey is watching a birdfeeder. The first is to remember that raptors are a natural and necessary part of the ecosystem and they must eat. Catching small birds is actually very difficult work for a raptor – more than 90 percent of attempts fail. Young raptors that are not yet skilled hunters have a particularly difficult time and more than 60 percent die in their first year.
Successful hunting tends to remove unhealthy and old songbirds, or young ones that have not grasped the skills necessary for survival. It’s part of natural selection that benefits songbird populations in the long term. Many bird watchers wisely choose not to interfere and instead, appreciate the opportunity to observe natural predation close up – watching a bird of prey in pursuit of a meal can be fascinating and impressive.
The second approach to raptors hunting birds at a birdfeeder is to remove the feeder for a couple of weeks. The songbirds will disperse in search of other food sources, and the raptor will soon follow. A less extreme approach is to provide lots of cover – shrubbery and trees near the feeder – for small birds to flee to and hide in, or cover the feeder area with mesh. If you opt for shrubbery and mesh, the raptor will probably be slower to leave.
Raptors hunting pets and other domestic animals
The migration months – September through April – are the period when a bird of prey is most likely to have a hungry eye on cats, dogs, chickens, and other small animals that roam in the backyard. At this time of year food is harder to find, and domestic pets may be easy prey because they are not used to avoiding predators, especially those that streak down from the sky. To be safe, small pets that are alone outdoors where raptors circle should be kept in enclosures covered with mesh or a solid roof. Under the open sky, they should always be accompanied - a large umbrella provides some cover and protection.
Raptor nests
If a raptor chooses a nesting site in or near a residential area, the human residents usually have to tolerate the nest for the breeding season. (On rare occasions, if there is serious danger to the birds, authorities may be convinced that it’s appropriate to intervene.) Adult birds may dive on people and animals, behavior that is usually aimed at protecting the nest rather than obtaining food. Residents should look out for small pets and other domestic animals, carry an umbrella if warranted, and enjoy having these beautiful and vulnerable birds in the neighborhood.
Related content:
Sources:
The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota. “What Can I Do About Hawks Preying on Songbirds at My Feeder?”
Arizona Game and Fish. “Living With Raptors.”
