“Assist! A hawk has began hanging round my chicken feeders. How can I make it go away, so it doesn’t eat my birds?!”

The above query, or some model of it, is without doubt one of the commonest that I obtain. I can all the time inform that the particular person asking has a GIANT coronary heart, and the very last thing they need to see is the songbirds or squirrels they attracted get eaten.

I by no means know precisely what to say as a result of by deciding to feed birds, it’s nearly inevitable that hawks might be hanging round with the elevated exercise. Personally, I take pleasure in observing these stunning birds of prey. I do know it’s unhappy after they seize one thing, however I prefer to assume that they’re feeding their infants someplace, and with out that meals, they might starve.

Regardless, I made a decision to take a seat down and supply some issues you are able to do to assist be sure that hawks aren’t profitable looking in your yard.

Beneath are 3 simple ideas that may assist preserve hawks away out of your chicken feeders.

Ensure that to learn to the tip. Additionally, you will find out about methods that DON’T work.

#1. Take your feeders down for per week.

Let me be sincere with you:

In case you feed birds in your yard, you WILL appeal to hawks.

Like all predator, raptors are interested in locations the place their prey hangs out. This is smart if you consider any animal documentary that you simply’ve ever watched. Usually, the present will show a large herd of wildebeest and zebras on the African Savannah. Then within the subsequent scene, lions, hyenas, and leopards are proven looking these mass gatherings!

So realizing this, there may be solely ONE assured solution to preserve hawks away out of your chicken feeders, and it’s what I name the “nuclear possibility.”

It’s good to cease feeding the birds briefly!

I do know that’s what you most likely don’t need to hear, but it surely’s true. In case you take down your feeders, then the crowds of birds in your yard will disperse, and so will the hawks.

Personally, I’ve discovered that there are occasions of the yr when hawks are extra quite a few than others. For instance, I are likely to see probably the most raptor exercise within the fall after juveniles have fledged from the nest. If the predation bothered me, I might simply take down the feeders briefly and put them again out after the hawks have moved on.

My advice is to experiment in your yard and even preserve a journal of sightings all year long. This fashion, you’ll know when there are extra hawks in your yard than normal.

#2. Put your chicken feeders close to security!

That is my favourite solution to stop hawks from killing feeder birds.

I imply, who needs to consistently take down their feeders each time that they see a hawk? It looks like lots of effort, and it’s not even assured to maintain your songbirds protected, as raptors can simply sneak into your yard earlier than you discover they’re there.

As a substitute, do that:

Place your chicken feeders within the most secure location attainable!

As a lot as I take pleasure in seeing hawks in my yard, I nonetheless choose for them to catch and eat their prey elsewhere. So after I arrange my chicken feeding station, I picked a location that gave the feeder birds each attainable benefit. You must ensure they don’t seem to be sitting geese (no pun supposed)!

Listed below are two issues to consider:

A. Place your feeders close to brush and shelter:

Hawks are primarily ambush predators. They sit and wait for his or her prey after which shock assault with monumental velocity.

To assist your songbirds, put your feeders close to someplace they’ll conceal, resembling timber, bushes, or different brush. That method, as quickly as they see a hawk coming, it’s not far for them to fly to security! The farther into an open space your chicken feeders are situated, the extra inclined they’re to an assault.

Try the under video to get a tour of my yard and chicken feeding station. You’ll be able to see how I positioned my feeders very near the sting of the woods!

As an added bonus, having your feeders close to a possible shelter additionally means you’ll appeal to extra birds. There are numerous species that received’t really feel snug consuming out within the open because of the chance of being hunted.

The one drawback with having your feeding station near timber and brush is that it’s simpler for squirrels to leap onto your feeders!

B. Put your feeders beneath one thing:

As we simply mentioned, hawks are ambush predators, they usually nearly all the time perch excessive in a tree to allow them to assault from above!

By offering safety from above, any hawk that decides to assault should come from the aspect. This small change ought to assist give further time on your birds to get away.

Some examples of locations that present safety are beneath low-hanging tree branches, awnings, and even gazebos.

In my yard, I put my feeders near security AND beneath tree branches.

This mix helps to maintain my birds extraordinarily protected. I’ve dwell cameras that watch my chicken feeders all day, daily, so somebody is all the time monitoring what’s happening in my yard. Prior to now few years, I can depend on two palms the variety of occasions a hawk has caught a chicken.

In reality, it’s enjoyable to look at what number of the hawks have MISSED!

Watch ABOVE to see 25 occasions that hawks attacked my feeders unsuccessfully!

#3. Don’t feed birds and squirrels on the bottom!

Hawks hardly ever catch something in your precise feeders. As a substitute, they’ve MUCH higher success looking for birds and squirrels which are consuming ON THE GROUND.

To keep away from having hawks efficiently hunt, preserve chicken meals OFF the bottom!

So, how do you do that?

Pay shut consideration to your feeders!

Most birds are messy eaters and can poke by way of and throw birdseed round, in search of the meals they need to eat. You will want chicken feeders that don’t enable birds to do that!

Most hopper feeders and trays are most likely dangerous choices since birds can sit on a platform and have loads of room to throw meals round, resulting in some ending up on the bottom.

Search for feeders the place birds should attain inside to seize a chunk of meals. 

One feeder that will be a sensible choice is the Absolute II.

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The seed is enclosed within the meals reservoir and has a steel lip that stops (a lot) meals from spilling out. It’s one in all my favourite feeders because it’s sturdy, squirrel-proof, and holds lots of meals.

One other solution to stop meals from ending up on the bottom is to put in a tray beneath the feeders. Many tube feeders have trays that you could safe to the underside. You can too connect a dish or bin that catches fallen seeds.

The mixture that I take advantage of is an Points tube feeder, with an 8.5-inch tray connected to the underside.

What are stuff you SHOULDN’T do to stop hawks?

Every now and then, whether or not it’s on social media or one other web site, I see folks say issues about the right way to cease hawks that don’t work or are simply merciless.

In no explicit order, listed here are some issues you need to ignore.

I’m nonetheless unsure why a hawk can be terrified of a chunk of plastic that appears like an owl? Hawks are extremely tailored and environment friendly hunters, so I feel we must always give them extra credit score. 🙂

I’ve seen individuals who need to stop hawks by utilizing ultrasonic chicken repellents, which scare away birds utilizing sound.

Umm… even when this does work, it could additionally scare away all of the birds at your feeders!

• Capturing, trapping, or poison.

First, that is extremely unlawful. The federal Migratory Fowl Treaty Act protects birds in the US.

Second, killing a fantastic chicken of prey is simply imply and merciless. Please don’t do that.

Attempt to recognize hawks in your yard!

If attainable, cease hating hawks a lot, and be taught to understand these spectacular birds of prey. They’re thrilling to look at.

And should you comply with a number of the ideas on this article, I’m assured you may preserve hawks away out of your chicken feeders.

As a substitute, they are going to be pressured to hunt at your neighbors’ feeders. 🙂

Scott