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Hawks, crows, and?

Monaco

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Hi guys. I know some of you will have suggestions for me. I so appreciate all of you and your ideas!

So, we've had a year of predation. It started with a juvenile red tail who hadn't left mom's territory yet. My neighbor to the north is a wild bird feeder extraordinaire. I get the benefits of watching the birds because I have a grove of Hackberry trees and her yard for the feeders. (I have goats and chickens, so I have to be very creative or stick to putting feeders outside the goat fencing.)
Anyway, between the buffet at my neighbors' and my chickens we fed that red tail very well. Almost as soon as he moved on to other big hawk things a kite moved into the pines in our front yard. I didn't lose anymore chickens, but our feeders in the front and the birdhouses (usually full) were deserted.
I love watching them all, I really do. But...there's no shortage of wild space all around us for the raptors. Someone local suggested that I put up feeders for crows, and they would pester the raptors away. Is that true? I love the crows too, and grackles have a special place in my heart. A murder of black cackling would be preferable to the murder of the harmless chickens and cardinals. Maybe even the roadrunners will come back if the raptors go elsewhere.

Any thoughts?
 

SandraK

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Pretty far from your location now, but when I lived in Illinois close to Chicago we had a red tail nest 2 doors down. Blue jays and crows will announce the presence of hawks loudly and I've watched a murder of crows embarrass a red tail by all sitting in the same tree with him and cawing very loudly (embarrassing enough to get him to leave dinnerless).

Now n Florida, we watch predators soaring on the thermals above us 24/7. We've put scraps out for the crows and since they now watch our back garden for handouts we've seen fewer hawks "hanging around". We have bird feeders as does the the neighbour to our left but we have no tree cover in our yard really. Two very tall palm trees and 1 equally tall pine tree w/a lemon, banana & fig tree thrown in for landscaping.

P1010285.JPG

IMAG1652.jpg

The first day I took out the garbage after moving in, Mr. Hawk sat on the fence within 4-6 feet of me and watched while I walked to and fro taking the garbage to the kurb.
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They haven't come that close since we put up the feeder and put scraps out for the crows. The side effect of putting scraps out for the crows was this -
P1010484.JPG P1010485.JPG

And this -
P1010477.JPG
 

greys4u

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Forgot, the white birds are Ibis
 

SandraK

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Those crows look like buzzards!!
They are! The crows left when the buzzards arrived. I have to download more photos as I have several of the crows and the buzzards who also sunned themselves on the fence once they were done snacking!
 

SandraK

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We've also had juvenile ibis which are a brownish whitish colour-of-a-fleeing-donkey (Brazilian saying). Since we don't use herbicides or pesticides in the yard, they'll stop in and check out the base of the few large plants for insects and lizards.
 

Hawk12237

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Pretty far from your location now, but when I lived in Illinois close to Chicago we had a red tail nest 2 doors down. Blue jays and crows will announce the presence of hawks loudly and I've watched a murder of crows embarrass a red tail by all sitting in the same tree with him and cawing very loudly (embarrassing enough to get him to leave dinnerless).

Now n Florida, we watch predators soaring on the thermals above us 24/7. We've put scraps out for the crows and since they now watch our back garden for handouts we've seen fewer hawks "hanging around". We have bird feeders as does the the neighbour to our left but we have no tree cover in our yard really. Two very tall palm trees and 1 equally tall pine tree w/a lemon, banana & fig tree thrown in for landscaping.

View attachment 324618

View attachment 324619

The first day I took out the garbage after moving in, Mr. Hawk sat on the fence within 4-6 feet of me and watched while I walked to and fro taking the garbage to the kurb.
View attachment 324620
View attachment 324621

They haven't come that close since we put up the feeder and put scraps out for the crows. The side effect of putting scraps out for the crows was this -
View attachment 324622 View attachment 324624

And this -
View attachment 324623
For one that's a year-ling hawk, in other words, a baby less than a year old. I would say 7-8 months old. When they get their first molt The adult feathers will come in.
The others are turkey buzzards. They have incredibly strong and powerful beaks.
 
Last edited:

Monaco

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Thanks @SandraK ! I'll get to work on feeders immediately. I'm jealous of your lemon tree, but if we don't have real winters anymore I will plant one! I may have to use the roofs to keep the goats and chickens from them.
 

Hawk12237

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Monaco

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Small update...

I have been putting food out and sprinkling sometimes (I know they like it, and have stopped by before to shower) and I've only seen a couple swoop in for a snack twice. I don't know why I can't draw them in numbers or for more than a minute or two.

There are lots of water options, wild bird food, chicken food (scratch and scraps), so many trees, open space, cover. What am I missing?

I have to do something before the kite moves back into the pine.
 
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