First Visible Hawk Attack

[Guest]

Saw what looked like a Sparrow Hawk hanging on the side of one of my martin houses flapping wings and then fly off with one of my adult martins. Looked out at my other house this am and he was sitting on the roof of that house looking over the side for another bird. Flew off before I could get out there. Need advice on dealing with this predator before he destroys mine and my neighbors Martins.

[edited by Forum Admin]

[Louise Chambers]

Gerald,

Here are links to two articles from the Archives section of the Forum:

http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchiv ... guards.htm

http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchiv ... lGuard.htm

You can make a wrap-around guard like this for your martin house quickly & inexpensively. It will help create a safely zone up around the porches to keep the hawk from grabbing martins and nestlings. The wider you can make the safety zone, the better it works - so you might use some horizontal suport rods at top and bottom of house to hold the cage further from the house than the one in the picture. The house that's pictured in the first link, a Trio Castle, has been modified to have double size cavities that themselves offer better protection from predators like owls. A cage type guard works well at protecting martins from owls, hawks and crows - many landlords have added them with good results.

The house in the second link has also been modified to have larger compartments and starling resistant entrances. The wire fencing can be wrapped around to enclose the sides of the houses too, and I would suggest doing that.

Louise

[Guest]

Thanks for the fast reply. Looks like you have the simple fix for my hawk problem. I understand the edit and thanks for the e mail.

[klcretired]

gerald1,
Welcome to the Forum, we are all sad and sorry for your loss,We feel your Pain, it hurts to loose one..we as LL's (LandLord's) all loose some Martins at one time or another , all we can do is the best that we can to help protect them...Thank you for taking the next step in that direction, Louise has put you on the right track toward's getting Help and things in place.Please keep us posted as to what is going on at your Colony, we would like to know.
We wish you a good Martin Season this Year!!!!
Good Luck!!!