Danger!!!!!

[Laurasea]

I have my birds on a stand sitting next to a big window. It's raining and kind dreary so I put on a bright light over them.
Just now a hawk came in for the kill!!!!!! Hit the window full on going for Neptune!!!!! My heart is beating so fast. The hawk was slightly injured , I got a pic when he flew up to roof. I was trying to decide how to catch him and get help, but after a few minutes of us trying to figure out how to get on the roof he flew off strongly. Please be careful if you ever have your birds out on your shoulder or with your harness ! A hawk can and will take your bird!!!

 

[reeisconfused]

Oh my god! I can imagine how scary it must have been. So glad the fids are safe. The area where I live has different kinds of birds coming in everyday, including hawks. Thank you for the reminder!

 

[Laurasea]

Just came back from looking for the hawk, it did hurt it's wing hitting the window you can see it drooping in pic. But it left the oak tree it flew to, do I guess is ok. I told the neighborhood to keep an eye out, if it's injured and I can find will take to our wildlife sanctuary.
But yes please be careful of your birds outside. The news showed a hawk trying to take a small dog recently..... Just wow

 

[Jen5200]

Holy moly! That would have been scary....I’m glad I use a backpack for mine outside (we have a lot of hawks and eagles here).

 

[Owlet]

Geez... I know theres a video floating around of someone filming their budgies when an owl smacks into their window trying to get them.... lesson learned, don't keep your birds right in front of the window :c

 

[EllenD]

This happens more often than you would think...I remember someone on this forum posting a couple of years ago about how they had their female Cockatiel outside with them while they were gardening on a beautiful, sunny day. They had their Cockatiel's cage outside in the middle of the garden, and they thought it was okay to let the Cockatiel out because she was clipped, I guess this was something she did often and the Cockatiel never flew away, she just sat on top of her cage and enjoyed the sun...Well one day her Cockatiel was sunning itself on top of it's cage in the middle of the garden, while she was planting things, and suddenly a Hawk swooped down, grabbed her Cockatiel in it's talons, and she watched helplessly as her Cockatiel was carried off into a tree, only to hear the horrors of her being eaten alive by the Hawk...I can't even imagine...

I have a huge bay-window in the front living-room of my house that overlooks my front yard and the street. My couch is pushed right against the wall below the window, so that the top of the back of my couch is level with the large window=sill, and all of the birds and my Bearded Dragon especially just love to sit on either the back of the couch or the window sill and just look out over the front yard, watching people walking and driving up and down the street...My Bearded Dragon has a little pillow on the window sill that she lays on for hours at a time, just fascinated by everything going on outside.

One day I was laying on the couch watching TV, and I fell asleep...I realized that Kane had flown over to the back of the couch and was just sitting looking out the window while I napped below him...I was drifting off to sleep, happily and relaxed, when Kane let out a noise that was something I'd not heard before or since, it was so bizarre, but it was definitely not a good noise, lol...Then I felt him land on my upper arm and then jump down onto my face, literally had his Senegal-butt right on my nose...I opened my eyes up and started to say "Kane, what the hell are you. do....WHOA!!! HOLY S**T!!!", among a lot of other words I won't repeat...The largest Barred-Owl in the world had flown-down from the big tree in my front yard and was almost hovering right directly in from of the bay window, with it's wings fully-opened...IT WAS MASSIVE!!! AND IT WANTED TO EAT KANE!!!

I didn't realize how large those Owls are, especially when their wings are opened-up the entire way...I mean, he was just "there" all of a sudden, and then as soon as I sat-up he took-off into the tree again...This was in the middle of the afternoon in broad-daylight, so you know the only reason an Owl comes out during that time of day is because they've spotted a tasty-treat!!! Kane looked traumatized, and it's not like you can explain to your Senegal Parrot that the Owl can't get through the glass....I will never forget that, that Owl was just HUGE!

 

[ParrotGenie]

This happens more often than you would think...I remember someone on this forum posting a couple of years ago about how they had their female Cockatiel outside with them while they were gardening on a beautiful, sunny day. They had their Cockatiel's cage outside in the middle of the garden, and they thought it was okay to let the Cockatiel out because she was clipped, I guess this was something she did often and the Cockatiel never flew away, she just sat on top of her cage and enjoyed the sun...Well one day her Cockatiel was sunning itself on top of it's cage in the middle of the garden, while she was planting things, and suddenly a Hawk swooped down, grabbed her Cockatiel in it's talons, and she watched helplessly as her Cockatiel was carried off into a tree, only to hear the horrors of her being eaten alive by the Hawk...I can't even imagine...

I have a huge bay-window in the front living-room of my house that overlooks my front yard and the street. My couch is pushed right against the wall below the window, so that the top of the back of my couch is level with the large window=sill, and all of the birds and my Bearded Dragon especially just love to sit on either the back of the couch or the window sill and just look out over the front yard, watching people walking and driving up and down the street...My Bearded Dragon has a little pillow on the window sill that she lays on for hours at a time, just fascinated by everything going on outside.

One day I was laying on the couch watching TV, and I fell asleep...I realized that Kane had flown over to the back of the couch and was just sitting looking out the window while I napped below him...I was drifting off to sleep, happily and relaxed, when Kane let out a noise that was something I'd not heard before or since, it was so bizarre, but it was definitely not a good noise, lol...Then I felt him land on my upper arm and then jump down onto my face, literally had his Senegal-butt right on my nose...I opened my eyes up and started to say "Kane, what the hell are you. do....WHOA!!! HOLY S**T!!!", among a lot of other words I won't repeat...The largest Barred-Owl in the world had flown-down from the big tree in my front yard and was almost hovering right directly in from of the bay window, with it's wings fully-opened...IT WAS MASSIVE!!! AND IT WANTED TO EAT KANE!!!

I didn't realize how large those Owls are, especially when their wings are opened-up the entire way...I mean, he was just "there" all of a sudden, and then as soon as I sat-up he took-off into the tree again...This was in the middle of the afternoon in broad-daylight, so you know the only reason an Owl comes out during that time of day is because they've spotted a tasty-treat!!! Kane looked traumatized, and it's not like you can explain to your Senegal Parrot that the Owl can't get through the glass....I will never forget that, that Owl was just HUGE!

Even in a cage I won't leave a cockatiel outside without watching and being close by. Yes a hawk will find a way to get into cage, or open it. I had a person bring in a hawk that was stuck in the large Parakeet cage after the mother decide to let the parakeets get some sun light on the porch in the cage. Only one of the Parakeets survived.

 

[GaleriaGila]

GEEEEEEEZ!
Now THAT'S what I call on-the-spot field reporting!
WOW!
I have direct personal knowledge of one (and close-to-direct knowledge of another) of parrots being picked off shoulders, in New Mexico. Raptors are WATCHING!

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Oh no, that must have been really scary! Glad Neptune is alright!

 

[Laurasea]

He kept saying oh little baby are you ok? He hurt his foot a little thrashing around. I'm glad to get the word out and hear these other scary stores! So we all don't take chances. I don't want this hawk who hurt himself to be in vane, so us sharing stories, and maybe preventing a real hawk verse parrot death. Makes it worth it. I still feel so bad for the hawk.....

 

[Tami2]

Wow, that's scary. It looks like a Northern Goshawk. These hawks don't usual go that far south in winter. It might be a juvenile, based on it's desperate behavior for a meal + how far south it is???

 

[saxguy64]

Wow, that's scary! Glad everyone is okay. We had a similar incident some years ago. Not with our bird, but the cat. She had jumped up on the window sill above the couch. My wife was napping on the couch and was awakened by a bang that shook the whole house. The cat ran off to the bedroom, and my wife jumped up to see the bald eagle fall down from the window to the bushes below. He sat there stunned for a few minutes, then moved out to the yard. He stood there for probably half an hour and we were about to call the game warden when he finally perked up and flew off. Honestly, if he had hit the picture window any harder, it would have smashed on top of my wife, and the cat. Glad the eagle was okay, but, wow! That's a big bird to hit the house!

 

[Laurasea]

Wow, that's scary. It looks like a Northern Goshawk. These hawks don't usual go that far south in winter. It might be a juvenile, based on it's desperate behavior for a meal + how far south it is???

I'm north of Jacksonville,
I think was a red shoulder hawk, I have one that gets the squirrels now and then I'll google the other hawk see if it could be that...I'm do glad didn't crack the window...

 

[Laurasea]

I think red shoulder, ( but now not sure...... maybe it is a northern goshawk female )!it's the biggest I've ever seen, two feet tall when sat in a tree at eye level with me last year has no fear..it once landed a few feet away from my ten pound dog , I grabbed my dog and went inside....it freaks me out, been around for ten years that I lived here...sorry no better picture. But it's a beast don't think it's a juvenile

 

[Scott]

Horrific stories and chilling reminders of what lurks above. I'd love to have my birds enjoy the great outdoors while supervised, but too many raptors overhead.

 

[YSGC]

Wow!
I'm so glad your fids are okay.

... and thanks for the reminder of this danger from above.

 

[Laurasea]

The hawk was on my roof in bright sun, I was able to ID as juvenile red shoulder hawk. So kudus to all who speculated it was a juvenile. You all are correct. Also it has recovered from the window strike. It must be the of spring of my huge female red shoulder. Not sure if one of my posts was lost thanking everyone who shared their hawk, owl and eagle stories, and the horrific stolen from shoulder stories from Gail!!! Keep the fids safe out there!!

 

[HannahandSunny]

One of my biggest fears with Sunny :’( there are so many wedge tail eagles around here, all the cockatoos make a racket when one is sighted, Sunny knows the alarm call but it’s still my biggest worry.

 

[dhraiden]

"Nature, red in tooth and claw"

All predators by nature are opportunistic, for unlike our feathered friends, they do not have a food dish stocked and waiting for them. There is never a need to jeopardize your pet by forgetting the line above. I have often thought, without contempt or ire, that the sorts of people who out of misguided, but perhaps "good", intentions let their pet birds out of the cage, outside, clipped wings or no, are driven by a perverse form of guilt, under-girded by a severe lack of awareness: a dangerous combination for the pet bird. Rather akin I believe to letting out of arm's reach a small child, no older than three years of age, into the middle of a busy intersection swarming with traffic, because one believes it is "better" for them. The thought process goes awry when the owner somehow makes the assumption that, because the child is ambulatory and possessed of vision and hearing, it will surely be able to retreat from any danger that should present itself.

 

[Laurasea]

Well a surprising unsettling update on the hawk! It attacked my neighbors mini dachshund!! She had to take the dog to the vet to treat wounds on the back, but the dog is ok the wounds were minor....but
Dang!!! @@ I have two dogs smaller than hers so now I have to be so careful... I wish this hawk would find new hunting grounds.. i has warned my other neighbors with even smaller dogs but had not warned her...ugh... I just never thought it really would attack our dogs!