Question about Red-tailed hawks

M.Stephens · Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:19 pm

If they are not a threat to the martins then why do the martins give out the alarm cry and chase after them? i just had a male and female flyover the colony site and have seen them do this off and on for years. During fledging time I believe they have snatched some and I think I remember seeing one with a fledgling. There are other birds that fly over the site and I never here a peep out of the martins.

DebA · Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:27 pm

I too have read on here that they typically hunt mice, snakes, creepy stuff. Which is A-ok with me. I suppose if they are hungry they go for birds.

I live on a farm which is about 5 acres with mature trees mostly around my house and behind. Otherwise we are surrounded by crops or fields of grass.

Two mornings ago I had my binoculars and was doing my HOSP patrol. Two Red-tailed Hawks were perched in my trees. I've always seen them across the road cruising over the CRP grass but not right at our place. They are huge up close. Really huge up close with binoculars. Anyway they would lift up and were cruising in large circles around our place obviously looking down as they flew. Finally they headed north and east until I couldn't see them anymore.

I don't have any martins yet...(it's about time to go look again) but I did not like those hawks hanging out here. I kept telling myself at least they are red tails...

Deb

loco for purple · Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:24 pm

Red taled hawks are a threat to flegling martins. I have lost some in the past to red tailed hawks. The flegling martins tend to stay perched in trees , and become easy prey for the big hawks.. I have stood outside and thrown tennis balls at red tailed hawks to discourage them from coming close to the colony in the past . This always worked for me and the hawks would not come around if they saw me....This also has worked for Cooper's hawks , but the sharpshinned hawks do not show the fear of humans like the other hawks ..

Craig Dyer · Sun Mar 22, 2015 12:00 pm

My observation has been that purple martins are not the least bit concerned about red tail hawks. I see red tail hawks flying nearby all the time. The martins seem unfazed. There is a pair of red tails nesting about 1/2 mile from my colony. This morning one of the red tails was perched in a tree about 100 yards from my martin housing. The martins ignored it. I think the martins realize that red tails are simply no match for their flying skills, and don't see them as a threat. Nor do the red tails waste their energy trying to catch them.