One really surprised Red Tail Hawk . . . .

[bedbugbilly]

Our house, a small two bed ranch, is located on a hill in a oak wood lot on the back of the farm - we built it in 1978. Our kitchen/dinette area faces to the back of the house and we have had a bird feeder in the yard - about 10 feet from the house - for years.

Yesterday morning, my wife had to leave for a hair appt. and I was sitting in the living room enjoying my second cup of coffee. She walked out into the kitchen when all of a sudden, there was a loud "boom" for want of a better word. At first, I though my wife might have fallen and then she gave a whoop! I gout up and saw she was fine so we looked out the window in the dinette area and there on the ground, lay a huge Red Tail Hawk - on it's back and knocked out cold! We could see a spot on the window where it hit but luckily, the window didn't break (which amazes me).

Evidently, the hawk was swooping down on a bird at the feeder and was either concentrating on the bird or misjudged his "pull up". As we looked, it slowly began to "come to" but very slowly. Then we could see it move one foot slightly and after a couple of minutes, try to move its wings. One leg was pulled up close to the body but the other was straight out and we though that might be broken.

My wife had to leave for her appt. but I kept watching and it was having trouble trying to flip over so I thought that I might need to contact the DNR and have them pick it up and take it to either a vet or whoever takes care of injured birds, etc. I went in to the living room and googled the DNR number which took a few minutes and then went back to check on the hawk. Well behold . . it was gone! Evidently it came to enough and got uprighted so it could fly and took off. Hopefully the one leg is O.K.

We have not had many birds this summer here (lower MI). It took weeks to get any to the feeder after I re-did the post and put a new feeder up earlier this summer. Even when I mowed, I didn't see the usual Swallows swooping down to get the bugs, etc. Same for squirrels . . . we used to have around 10 or so who would raid the feeder but we only had one show up and we haven't seen him for a few weeks. Makes you wonder . . .

I googled Red Tail Hawk to see how fast they can swoop and was amazed to find that they have been clocked up to 125 MPH in a swoop. I'm sure this one wasn't quite going that fast but I am still amazed it didn't go through the glass and in to the house.

I don't like to interfere in "nature's pecking order" and can't blame the hawk for finding food . . . but am now wondering if it is part of the reason we haven't seen any birds and squirrels this summer. They certainly have a steady diet of field mice. I'm just glad it came to and was able to fly away . . . just hope it didn't get hurt too bad and hopefully it learned something from the collision! What a majestic bird!

[kfarm]

Deleted

[Big Boomer]

While growing up in east-central Ky. just east of Richmond, my parents raised chickens in part to feed our large family. "Chicken hawks" were always despised, though I never saw one take a chicken of any size, nor have I ever heard of that actually happening. As a child I learned to whistle through my front teeth and mimic the sound of a hawk and the hens would spread their wings and call their chicks. I live in southern Ky. now and yesterday a fully grown red tail hawk was sitting on our back fence about 50' from our back deck. Stayed there for a while. The day before I noticed a small grey pile of feathers about the same distance from where the hawk was perched near the end of the deck. My wife was a bit miffed at the thought of the hawk taking down any of the birds she feeds during the winter months, or summer months for that matter when they pretty much are on their own. We have also seen peregrine falcons making the rounds but the red tail hawks are finding good pickings around here. Wish they could do something about the moles in our yard. Big Boomer

[wv109323]

About two years ago I had a red tailed hawk crash into our bay window in pursuit of a dove. The dove died but the hawk laid on the deck for about 10 minutes. It then hopped up on the banister and propped itself against one of the spindles of the banister. It then flew to a nearby oak tree and set for about another 10 minutes. It then flew off.

[nagantguy]

Thanks for sharing, brought back a found memory.....hard winter in lower MI my dad was driving his work truck and I was riding shotgun, I was home on leave from the Corps, we were talking hunting and fishing there was a small red car infront of us, there was a dead rabbit in the road don't know if it was the Hawks kill or if he was just scavengering anyhow the hawk flew up over the red car and went into a full speed dive back to his prize, right into our windshield the glass broke but didn't shatter and the hawk of course died. Dad's truck was a opaque blue green don't know if animals had a hard ti.e seeing that color or what but several things birds deer turkeys would run into that truck, even a dog slammed into it once when it was parked.

[JonnyReb]

3 years ago I had a redtail move onto the crotch of a huge live oak out behind the house. She built a nest and proceeded to hatch 3 younguns. They stayed for about 3-4 months, all 4 of them and during that period of time they depleted our yard of about 10 fat squirrels and most of the birds that came to our feeders. The mother bird to my knowledge did not attempt to harm any of our freerange chickens.

Last year, we heard our rooster going crazy in the fenced in front yard. I ran out just in time to see something I didn't ever expect. A redtail had one of our sexlink hens on its back, still very much alive. It was literally standing on her while at the same time was ripping her breast feathers out..to eat her alive right on the ground i guessed. The rooster was attacking the hawk all the while and the hawk appeared to be ignoring him completely. I was running at the hawk during all this and the bird waited until I was literally 20 feet away before jumping up and off...flying to a nearby tree to stare at me. The hen jumped up too and despite talon marks on her back and lots of lost feathers, she was ok and as a matter of fact I just shut her up in her coop, she's one of my favorite hens.. No doubt about it, redtails WILL attack chickens.

[1845greyhounds]

Last June I was awakened to a hawk's calls (phonetic sound "squee") and the sound of intense battle coming from our bathroom. Naturally my wife volunteered me to investigate and since I am a well conditioned married man, I rolled out of bed armed with my trusty orange basketball shorts. I approached the door and tactically searched for the engagement. Nothing on the floor, but the loud sounds of a 1 sided skirmish eminated from the skylight. Foolishly I straddled our never used whirlpool tub, and reached up into the skylight well to retract the blind. There I was eye-to-eye with an angry hawk... Lucky for IT we were separated by the skylight. Startled, the hawk flew away. The battle had been truly 1 sided. The hawk was attacking it's reflection on the skylight. Victorious, I returned to bed.

[jcren]

Not a chicken story, but had a redtail try to eat my face last year during deer season. Bow season, so full camo, on a 15' ladder stand, I was looking off to my left when I heard/sensed something and quickly looked right. Right into the belly feathers and talons of a full swoop hawk about 4-6 feet away. We both took evasive maneuvers and by the time he pulled up I felt the whoose of his wings. I still don't know what he thought he saw or which one of us made the biggest mess of ourselves.

[TXGunNut]

I learned something at the Draper Museum in Cody last week. They use monofilament line to suspend feathers across large windows to keep birds from flying into them. The birds apparently think the feather means another bird has had a collision there.

[Rufus Krile]

Don't see many red tails in town but have had a series of Cooper's hawks raiding our feeder. They're something to watch... those short stubby wings let them turn and burn through the back yards. Watched one make his approach across our neighbors yard about 3 ft off the ground, pull a chandelle over the fence, and dive into a bunch of doves. TXGunNut: Down here on the coast they string mono line to keep the seagulls away from the tourists in the outdoor cafes... they learn quick.

[RED333]

Living at home many years ago I was driving to feed the cows. Out of the corner of my eye
I see something dive into the brush next to the field. As I get closer I can see something
flopping around. A red tail hawk had a rabbit in its talons, and its wings all caught up
in the honey suckle vines. The closer I got the more he fought to get away.
Just as I reached to get him he let the rabbit go. It took a good bit of cutting vine to get him loose.
I held him and took him to the house, got a few pics that did not turn out. Let him go
in the front yard, he flew about 10 feet to the top of the house. Turned and looked right at me
and screamed at me, dont know it was a "thank you" or "you made me loose the rabbit".
Something I will never forget.

[Wolfer]

9 years ago I was watching a sparrow chase a hawk. You know what I mean. They fly right above them and pull the feathers from the back of the hawks head. At about 20 yds from me the hawk rolled upside down and just reached out and caught the sparrow with one claw. All in one smooth move it was back upright and flew off with its snack.
I thought then ( this is how the pros do it!)

[MaryB]

I got to watch an eagle come in and grab a rabbit from about 40 feet away... you don't realize how big they are until one comes in that close.

[bedbugbilly]

When we are in AZ, we usually go out to the Sonora Desert Museum at least once - a beautiful place! They put on a "raptor show" that we've watched a number of times. They bring out a family of Harris Hawks. These hawks stick together in "families". They let a mouse loose and then they go after it and put on quite a show. The interesting thing about them is that they do actually stick together in families - I've seen as many as five or six together sitting on wires watching for something to eat. If they spot something, such as a rabbit, they will give chase. One will go after it until it gets tired, then another hawk takes over. The prey really doesn't have much chance unless it finds a hole or a place to hide as they soon tire and then get nailed.

One of the things they mentioned is that in the wild, they will often loose entire families of the Harris Hawk. They will sit close together on electrical wires and if one should ground itself somehow, it will get electrocuted along with the rest who amy be touching each other. When they explained that, I thought about the electric fences we had on the farm when I was a kid. We would take 6" pieces of 2 X 4 and wire them to the steel fence posts that had woven fence on them. Then we would nail an insulator on and string the electric fence - this set away from the woven wire fence about 2 or 2 12" inches. We did that so the horses wouldn't "ride the fence" or to keep the cows from pushing the fence. Only problem was, if a sparrow or similar bird sat on the electric fence wire, it would be fine. If their tail touched the woven wire fence, they grounded themselves out and ended up dead. The electric shock would make their fee constrict and then they would end up having upside down on the electric fence wire. My Dad didn't like it as when it happened, overtime the electric fence machine cycled, it would send static and lines across our old black and white TV. My job then was to go walk the fence and knock the dead birds off the wire with a broom handle. It was amazing how many met their end that way.

We also have owls here where we are and we often hear them at night and every once in a while see one swooping down on some unsuspecting field mouse or rabbit. It's funny just how many things you see when you take the time to look and you really have to appreciate the way of nature and how it all works.

[MaryB]

I saw the eagle while squirrel hunting. I was watching the rabbit to see if it gave me a clear shot when I saw the wings come from the sky. I like to sit with my back to a tree and just watch and have had rabbits get close enough to touch

[MtGun44]

Found an owl standing, head 'retracted', eyes closed, on the centerline of a two lane road near here. Stopped and
he was standing, but unresponsive. Wrapped a jacket around him and put him in the passenger footwell.
He woke up in about 5 minutes, I was thinking of finding some place to let him go, but he was awake
and watching me from the passenger seat. Pretty spooky, knowing what his talons or beak could do
in a car! Stopped on a side road, opened the door and he fortunately made a break to fly out through
the 'opening' of the windshield. This put his head into the corner at the front bottom of the windshield,
leaving his feet towards me. PERFECT! I grabbed his feet tightly and lifted him gently out, in pretty
much control. After a few seconds so he could orient, I gently tossed him to the ground, and he took
off flying, looking good, no wobbles. I figure he got hit by a car and was as zapped as that Red Tailed
Hawk, although he was on some autopilot mode to stand, but do nothing else as he "rebooted".

Mary, see if you can pet one.

I have caught wild rabbits by hand, chased them down in a large, freshly cut field - they have little endurance and are
entirely exhausted by the third 'run'. Have to stay focused on where they stopped or you will lose them.

In any case, once you get them, too exhausted to move, you can pick them up without resistance.
I have twice carried one to a shade tree and sat down with it in my lap. Petting it for a couple of minutes
entirely calms it and they make no attempt to escape as they get their wind back. I have had them
casually hop a foot away and start eating grass, not concerned for me, and let me pick them up again
and put them in my lap and pet them for a while.

A friend told me this was possible when I was about 12 years old, and I never had the correct situation
until I was chopping huge fields on a summer job in college (a LONG time ago), with the nearest
fenceline hundreds of yards away so not much to hide in.

Amazing that wild rabbits tame down, at least temporarily, so easily.

[TXGunNut]

I had a half-grown rabbit on my back porch one day as I was carrying stuff in and out, he was cowered against the wall. Second or third time by bent over and scratched his ears a bit and he got pretty tense but stayed put. I thought maybe he was injured or sick. Next time by I petted him again, this time he relaxed and enjoyed it. Next time by I was carrying a ladder and banged the handrail and my new friend was off like a shot! Now that "my" cat has moved on my rabbits are more sociable, no ear scratching but they seem to like to hang out with me when I'm outside.

[MaryB]

Me run? :shock: bad back, torn ACL in both knees... not happening! I have had them hop close though, never tried coaxing one in to petting range. Few around the house know me and I talk to them and they don't run away.


Found an owl standing, head 'retracted', eyes closed, on the centerline of a two lane road near here. Stopped and
he was standing, but unresponsive. Wrapped a jacket around him and put him in the passenger footwell.
He woke up in about 5 minutes, I was thinking of finding some place to let him go, but he was awake
and watching me from the passenger seat. Pretty spooky, knowing what his talons or beak could do
in a car! Stopped on a side road, opened the door and he fortunately made a break to fly out through
the 'opening' of the windshield. This put his head into the corner at the front bottom of the windshield,
leaving his feet towards me. PERFECT! I grabbed his feet tightly and lifted him gently out, in pretty
much control. After a few seconds so he could orient, I gently tossed him to the ground, and he took
off flying, looking good, no wobbles. I figure he got hit by a car and was as zapped as that Red Tailed
Hawk, although he was on some autopilot mode to stand, but do nothing else as he "rebooted".

Mary, see if you can pet one.

I have caught wild rabbits by hand, chased them down in a large, freshly cut field - they have little endurance and are
entirely exhausted by the third 'run'. Have to stay focused on where they stopped or you will lose them.

In any case, once you get them, too exhausted to move, you can pick them up without resistance.
I have twice carried one to a shade tree and sat down with it in my lap. Petting it for a couple of minutes
entirely calms it and they make no attempt to escape as they get their wind back. I have had them
casually hop a foot away and start eating grass, not concerned for me, and let me pick them up again
and put them in my lap and pet them for a while.

A friend told me this was possible when I was about 12 years old, and I never had the correct situation
until I was chopping huge fields on a summer job in college (a LONG time ago), with the nearest
fenceline hundreds of yards away so not much to hide in.

Amazing that wild rabbits tame down, at least temporarily, so easily.

[fatnhappy]

Last winter was pretty brutal here on the shores of Lake Ontario. I wound up putting out corn from mid Feruary until the snow cleared. Besides the regular songbirds, squirrels and deer, we attracted a female coopers hawk as a regular. She'd perch on the back porch and in the blue spruce trees ringingthe property. She did yeomans duty at thinning the squirrel population.

[trapper9260]

I see reds around the house here always getting something and as for the eagles Have them looking for hand outs when my brother and I on the back waters of the Miss.River fishing.Also watch them go at 4 of them. I have one once in awhile show up around the house. but the hawks all the time.I seen a red tail ,one time come out of a ditch along side the road take off with a full grown cat in it talons.It did had a hard time to take off but it did.I have handle a red years ago it was not easy and another time a great horn owl and that was another story to deal with them.you do not think how big they are until you needed to handle them hand to hand.

[MaryB]

I heat with a corn stove and always have a bunch of cracked corn. I put it out under a tree that the rabbits and squirrels hide under in winter. Keeps them fed in lean winters!