Hawk attack

[Fireflyfisherman]

Tonight I had a hawk attack my martins 2 times as they were coming in to roost. Both attacks were fruitless but it was just terrible to watch. The Martins are incredible fliers and their evasive maneuvers are amazing. The hawk made 2 attacks at a female, like he was gunning for it. I chased the hawk out of the trees after the first stack but he came back for the 2nd attack. That poor Martin girl flew around until I could just barely make her out with almost no lift left when she finally came in to roost.

I hope this isn’t going to be a reoccurring theme. My little colony can’t handle this. I can’t handle this. I just wish those hawks would attain the starling population like this and leave my birds alone. May have to get the old decoy out and set it on the fence. Now which decoy should I use? Martin or dove decoy?

[Larry A Kronemeyer]

Fireflyfisherman

I know exactly how you feel. Sick and angry at the same time. Unfortunately it happens and the smaller the colony the more vulnerable you are. Not enough eyes keeping watch.
There is a Coopers Hawk that prowls my town and sometimes swings by my colony. Yes, sometimes everyday then I don't see it for a few days. The weather has been miserable here and it's looking for easy prey. Noisy birds signal dinner to the hawk.

It's hard to give advice here. The martins will have to be vigilant. You will have to help them out, but mostly it's hard to do. Decoys..a Martin decoy on or near your housing might draw the hawks attention long enough for your martins to escape. A dove decoy somewhere around the perimeter might be attacked first, once again buying time for the Martin's.

I've tried many things. Remove bird feeders …that's self-service for a coopers…if you can remove trees nearby, it makes it more difficult for hawk to sneak up. But Coopers are lightning quick and will also use buildings and shrubs as cover, even fences. Watch the other birds, grackles and jays will follow hawks and sound alarms, robins freeze motionless, as do squirrels. Hawks use low light and weather conditions to their advantage. They will attack in fog, rain, snow.

I have a cage around my house. We also have had an owl visit in past seasons. The cage can prevent a hawk from taking a martin off it's porch.

And, this might sound silly, I sometimes hang a lime green safety vest in the yard near the Martin houses. I like to think that the hawk mistakes it for a person. It's fooled my neighbors . Can't hurt, might help.

Nothing beats you being out there when you can. Make sure you have an air horn or some sort of clapper. The sudden noise can help frighten it off.

We all share your pain and the anxiety you feel when you witness these attacks.
Curse the devil bird and do what you can. Sometimes it's very, very hard.

Best of luck and hang in there.
Judy

[C.C.Martins]

Its bad, and a small colony is vulnerable...I hope the hawk migrates through for you. Its a horrible feeling and I feel for you and the Martins. There are a few folks going through this, myself included. A sharp shinned has been at the birds, he started at roosting time now he is hanging out on the fences during the day as well (while Im gone of course). I don't know what to do about the day time attacks.
Larrys idea is good, put up some dove decoys and move them around. Someone recommended putting them on a very long pole and move that pole around near the hawk attack avenue...not near the bird house.
A safety vest is a distraction, good idea Larry! How about wearing the safety vest every time you go out to the birds, and do it often. wear it all the time in their area, and during the time your out put it on the back of a chair or something and place it where its visible that hawk may just associate that vest with humans. Best idea is your presence, be there during their bedtime. post yourself with a stick and some long streamers or the air horn. Sounds like the attacks just started, its early and the hawk may just decide its not worth it.

I hope the hawk migrates or finds easier food elsewhere, wish you all the best.
Tom

[Dave Duit]

The safety vest is a great addition in dealing with hawk attacks. My vote on decoy martin or mourning dove is offer both. I too use a cage and it does aid in preventing porch pick offs. I have heard of the air inflated tube dancers, but I don't know if there has been success and I fear the hawks will just wait for the martins to venture away from the colony and avoid the dancing wind sock man. Another possibility would be to spend a lot of time in your yard near your martins, but I understand people can't live in the yard all day long.

[AkitaSan]

Try a marine air horn. Hawk would not have been around for the second attack after a blast from this little gem, Carry mine all the time and it is extremely effective.

[C.C.Martins]

Has anyone had any luck with a scarecrow for hawks? I looked on-line a bit and saw a discussion about scarecrows to keep chickens safe from hawks...any experiences? I'm going to try it out, use Larry's idea of the bright safety vest and deck him out, maybe give him a shiny CD necklace and a bright red hat. who knows? Ill let you all know! I like the marine air horn but my neighbors will call the cops

[KathyF]

Well, I take a total 180 deg. approach and now I put out bird feeders all around my property. Here's why:
When I first started hosting martins, I did the same thing - I took down all my feeders because I thought the birds at the feeders would attract more hawks and they would find my martins and go after them.
The following season I hosted 36 pair of Martins - their activities and noise attracted first a Sharpie and then a Cooper's hawk chased them all summer. I put up 6 or 7 decoys all around my racks.
One day, while rotating the decoys, I realized, I needed more "decoys", and determined it was silly that I had quit feeding the "FREE" decoys.
So, I put up the feeders again. Turns out - birds at the feeders are MUCH more alert and attuned to their environment and tend to be better watch dogs for Cooper's hawks than martins are.
But I think determining whether you feed them or not, depends on the situation - if you only have a few martins and the hawks are being drawn to your feeders and not the 1 or 2 martins, then yes, take down the feeders - making sure you observe if the hawks decide to chase your martins.
BUT, if you have several martins making a lot of noise in the morning & evening as I do (I now have 35+), then get the feeders up. The Cooper's is going to come anyway.
I have 10 martin decoys and 4 dove decoys that I deploy as well.

[mjfog]

I'm watching you guys. This is Mike, the retired wildlife biologist. One of the responders mentioned "you put up a bird feeder, you put up a feeding station for hawks". The same goes for martin colonies. When a martin person erects and maintains a successful colony for martins, one must expect predation. As one Sharp-shinned hawk said to the other, "Did you see that colony over at 42nd St. and Maple? Must be 25 to 30 martins congregating over there around 7:30 each evening. Let's eat!
Pull the heads from house sparrows (exotic finches) and starlings but don't mess with native wildlife. This is a PMCA advocated position. Be mindful.

[Fireflyfisherman]

No attack tonight but when those martins started diving for the their crescent openings I held my breath. They made several passes and I kept wondering if it was due to a hawk that I didn’t see. They flew in very dipsy, divey dodgey and I’m sure they remember last night. Going to do some tree trimming this weekend and set out a dove and or Martin decoy. Kathy, that is interesting about setting out feeders to add lookouts and decoys. Might start feeding the blue jays because they love peanuts and are very good lookouts.

Do y’all think that the hawk attacks are a bigger suburban problem or do they cause trouble in the country too? I’m in the suburbs and the hawk loves to fly between the houses.

Nothing sounds funny when it comes to our martins, airhorns, fluorescent vests and scarecrows. These birds are special and the people on this forum will go above and beyond the call of duty for them.

[KathyF]

No attack tonight but when those martins started diving for the their crescent openings I held my breath. They made several passes and I kept wondering if it was due to a hawk that I didn’t see. They flew in very dipsy, divey dodgey and I’m sure they remember last night. Going to do some tree trimming this weekend and set out a dove and or Martin decoy. Kathy, that is interesting about setting out feeders to add lookouts and decoys. Might start feeding the blue jays because they love peanuts and are very good lookouts.

Do y’all think that the hawk attacks are a bigger suburban problem or do they cause trouble in the country too? I’m in the suburbs and the hawk loves to fly between the houses.

Nothing sounds funny when it comes to our martins, airhorns, fluorescent vests and scarecrows. These birds are special and the people on this forum will go above and beyond the call of duty for them.

Yes, the Blue Jays have been awesome here! They were screeching and flitting around a small grove of trees north of my house a couple of weeks ago. When I finally realized they were obviously upset and alarming about something, I went to investigate (hoping it wasn't the cat I had spotted just a few days prior). As I approached, my resident Great Horned Owl flew out of the grove. So now, I listen for the Jays - they are some very brave sentries!
I do everything I can to engage the natural 'sentries' here - crows, jays, decoys and I just the large marine boat air horns when I see one coming.

[Larry A Kronemeyer]

Yes, the martins will start being more cautious when they come in. That's good. They will loose concentration again as more martins arrive and their noise will again set them up for attack. It's just a mother nature fact that you need to be aware of if you want to host martins.
Hawks are everywhere, even in the suburbs. They look for food where ever they can. Our community even allows some backyard poultry. It's the big thing now.
Detection and distraction is all you can do. Encourage birds that sound the alarm and distraction on the perimeter to buy some time. That would be in the form of feeders and decoys.
Scarecrows, vests and air horns can maybe startle a predator, as might your actual presence outdoors. Nothing is 100%. But it could help the odds.


And please, quote correctly or don't quote at all. I too watch.

[C.C.Martins]

Im watching you guys? really?

[Fireflyfisherman]

I missed the watching you guys reference and don’t get it. Same with the quotes. Not really sure what that is in reference to.

[Spiderman]

I have learned if you use decoys put them away from your Martin housing. They will save a Martin or two at the onset of attacks but will focus the hawk on the housing. I don't use them any longer.

He will quickly learn to only attack live moving targets.

While I don't care for Blue Jays either. We maintain feeders and they are the best look outs that we have.

[vman]

mjfog, get over yourself just a little

[Larry A Kronemeyer]

No one mentioned " you put up a bird feeder, you put up a feeding station for hawks"
Implied maybe, but not a quote.

He's watching to see if we are illegally harassing hawks. Hence the be mindful part.

We are only talking about decoys, bird feeders, scarecrows and safety vests here.
SHEESH!

[Glynn B - LA]

[quote="mjfog"]I'm watching you guys. This is Mike, the retired wildlife biologist. One of the responders mentioned "you put up a bird feeder, you put up a feeding station for hawks". The same goes for martin colonies. When a martin person erects and maintains a successful colony for martins, one must expect predation. As one Sharp-shinned hawk said to the other, "Did you see that colony over at 42nd St. and Maple? Must be 25 to 30 martins congregating over there around 7:30 each evening. Let's eat!
Pull the heads from house sparrows (exotic finches) and starlings but don't mess with native wildlife. This is a PMCA advocated position. Be mindful.[/quote]

What exotic finches need their head pulled off?


Glynn

[Lizzie]

Fireflyfisherman]
I have a cage around my house. We also have had an owl visit in past seasons. The cage can prevent a hawk from taking a martin off it's porch.

And, this might sound silly, I sometimes hang a lime green safety vest in the yard near the Martin houses. I like to think that the hawk mistakes it for a person. It's fooled my neighbors . Can't hurt, might help.

Nothing beats you being out there when you can. Make sure you have an air horn or some sort of clapper. The sudden noise can help frighten it off.

Judy

Great idea! I'd be putting a scarecrow out with that neon green vest- hah! Maybe even see if I could find a way to make that scare crow mechanical and moving!

[Lizzie]

I'm watching you guys. This is Mike, the retired wildlife biologist. One of the responders mentioned "you put up a bird feeder, you put up a feeding station for hawks". The same goes for martin colonies. When a martin person erects and maintains a successful colony for martins, one must expect predation. As one Sharp-shinned hawk said to the other, "Did you see that colony over at 42nd St. and Maple? Must be 25 to 30 martins congregating over there around 7:30 each evening. Let's eat!
Pull the heads from house sparrows (exotic finches) and starlings but don't mess with native wildlife. This is a PMCA advocated position. Be mindful.

Wow..........

[Fireflyfisherman]

Well bad hawk got an ASY male tonight. He was sitting on a porch of a room that was already occupied by a pair and was staring inside making a racket. I watched for too long and the hawk swooped in and grabbed him like lightning and flew off with him. I should have chased him off that porch. It was a strange return to roost tonight. We had a big hail storm and birds were sporadically coming in but not in the numbers like normal nights. Wonder if I am loosing a number of birds to that hawk? He uses the houses and fenceline bushes as cover. I am so upset over this. What can I build around my Martin house to prevent this? How can I help prevent this or is this just what happens when your colony grows?