Hawks......how many birds will they kill..............

geneinmurphy · Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:35 am

in one day??? Any idea?? I saw a Cooper's hawk chasing one of my PM's and I'm afraid he may have caught him. However, 3 hours later he was back attacking my other PM's at the gourd rack. I always assumed that if they killed/ate a bird the size of a martin, they would be through for the day. This hawk is more aggresive this year than any year past and is giving me fits......

Peggy Riley · Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:43 am

I'm interested in the answer too. I have a very bold Sharpie that's been around a month or so. Found him on one of the gourd racks last evening after all the martins were inside for the night. Saw him take a female Thursday night. It's past time for him to move on. Peggy

Emil Pampell-Tx · Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:28 am

Its hard to tell if its the same hawk, but there have been reports saying that a hawk would catch 3 or 4 martins a day....the smaller hawks can easily catch a martin, so they are very capable of wiping out a colony...Sometimes you can tell if its the same hawk by the approach that it uses, it comes in from one side, then often alternates to the other side...they are skilled hunters, and work on the element of surprise and speed..

Peggy Riley · Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:53 am

Emil, I can certainly tell my guy is the same one. He sits in the same places, comes about the same time everyday. When I scare him off he goes the same direction and to the same perch. The last several days he has been a little late in the evening and missed his opportunity. Don't see him much during the day just early in the morning and late in the evening.

Emil Pampell-Tx · Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:03 am

Peggy, many times I have had the same problem, so I go out about the times that he is there and chase him away. It seems like if you do that often enough, they move on...Of course, they may change their times and still catch a martin, but its a tough problem..

Peggy Riley · Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:24 am

I find that I am more accepting of the situation this year than last. It is kind of like disposing of S&S. It is a fact of life that I don't like but can't change. I do my best when I am home but what happens that I don't see just happens. Folks that are able to stay home all day are so lucky.

A co-worker emailed me a photo of a sharpie sitting on his rack in Ft. Worth. I told him "Yeah he looks really neat but don't be lulled into thinking he just happened to stop by."

RC Moser · Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:56 pm

Get some decoys, IMO it depends on how close the hawk can sneak up, how much experience it has, and how inexperience you PM are. I seen three in 6 years. I sure they got more, but I don't think all that many, maybe 7.

Some say decoys attract hawks. I say they give my martins a 2 second jump due to him zeroing in on the decoys. One guy said 8 dollar decoy is awful expense to loose. IMO you won't loose them may get beat up and turned upside down, but I haven't lost one off the house yet. If it saves one PM it's money well spent IMO.

db · Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:16 am

I installed a home made decoy this past Sunday afternoon and witnessed a hawk attack on it just before dark Monday. I believe the hawk would have made the attack on a real bird if the decoy had not been there. I intend to add one or two more decoys as soon as I have time to make them.