Will a Hawk attack a Macaw?

[Birdman666]

sharp shinned hawk, an accipiter. long skinny legs, thin sharp talons... this bird will hunt birds as big as it is such as blue jays. this is a true bird hawk. for those who have birds up to the size of large cockatiels, this bird lives in cities and WILL not hesitate to take easy bird prey... its one who often drives its prey into windows.

talons who could do massive damage to your bird whether it survives the initial attack or not. not worth the risk or ignorance in my opinion

They can also put a rather sizeable dent in your skydiving helmet (or worse) if you happen to be unlucky enough to accidentally fly over the bird's nest...

Trust me, we've met!

Funny, that bird looked a lot bigger when he was going after my head!

 

[DallyTsuka]

sharp shinned hawk, an accipiter. long skinny legs, thin sharp talons... this bird will hunt birds as big as it is such as blue jays. this is a true bird hawk. for those who have birds up to the size of large cockatiels, this bird lives in cities and WILL not hesitate to take easy bird prey... its one who often drives its prey into windows.

talons who could do massive damage to your bird whether it survives the initial attack or not. not worth the risk or ignorance in my opinion

They can also put a rather sizeable dent in your skydiving helmet (or worse) if you happen to be unlucky enough to accidentally fly over the bird's nest...

Trust me, we've met!

Funny, that bird looked a lot bigger when he was going after my head!

i know, right??? when i was swooped once by one, it didnt make contact, but you could just FEEL the air from its wings and you could tell how powerful these little birds are.

 

[Birdman666]

Well, that particular bird was a bit of a menace to skydivers...

He hit me hard enough to crack the shell of my (admittedly plastic) helmet, and dent the foam inside.

The next time, he got someone on landing approach and instead of getting the person, he flew down the center of the parachute and sliced it like a knife with his talons... (Which when you are lining up for your landing flair, will not only ruin your parachute, it'll pretty much ruin your day! Prepare to PLF cuz this is going to suck... )

The last guy got it in the trapezius muscle on the side of the neck. And those wounds were deep enough to require a trip to the ER.

It's not the size of the projectile... it is the speed at which the projectile is traveling when it hits you.

 

[Jayyj]

As far as kestrels are concerned, the local ones are fearless mobbers of anything larger than them that strays into their territory, but they're very unlikely to take birds as prey. I'm inclined to think the bird in the Birdtricks clip was mobbing the macaw rather than hunting.

Peregrines and sparrowhawks would be our main concern in the UK. The peregrines that live near my place of work are fearless of humans and I wouldn't take any chances with Alice anywhere near them - they've been known to take kestrels if the opportunity presents itself, so a small cockatoo wouldn't stand a chance. I could easily imagine a sparrow hawk taking a stab at ambushing a bird on a shoulder. Those two would be my main concern: the only other species we have in any real quantity are buzzards and I can't see one going after a parrot - although one caused outrage a year or so by taking a highly protected osprey chick from right under it's parent's nose, so they're braver and wilier than people give them credit for.

 

[MonicaMc]

I kind of wonder now.... how many of these birds of prey that are going after pets used to be birds cared for by falconers?

Can't say I know a great deal about falconry, but I do recall reading how a falconer must capture a young bird of prey (under a year old) as their first "pet". They then train this bird to hunt and only take food from humans when it is offered. These birds can then later be released.


Birds of prey bred within captivity cannot be released into the wild.

 

[DallyTsuka]

I kind of wonder now.... how many of these birds of prey that are going after pets used to be birds cared for by falconers?

Can't say I know a great deal about falconry, but I do recall reading how a falconer must capture a young bird of prey (under a year old) as their first "pet". They then train this bird to hunt and only take food from humans when it is offered. These birds can then later be released.


Birds of prey bred within captivity cannot be released into the wild.

this is a very intriguing question, but i think copperarabian would be the best one to answer, if she knows. she knows a lot about falconry and hawks so she may be able to answer this.


but if this does happen, this creates a very dangerous situation to both a hawk and our pets. and humans depending on the species. i would think if this does happen, its not a very common incident nowadays because most hawks in falconry i believe are captive bred. but if this happens, its kind of terrifying to think about.

 

[lquan]

Bird of preys are federally protected and rarely get attacked by people; therefore, naturally, they are fearless of people. I read in the other forums that one man who lives in the high desert usually take his conure out on his front lawn for 15 minutes every day before go to work. One day, he just put his conure on the grass, took 2 steps back to sip his coffee, as soon as he took the second step back, a hawk swooped up his conure. In another story, a man brought his CAG on his arm out onto his condo balcony, a hawk swooped down and grabbed the CAG right off his arm.

Hawks think people are no threat to them. They can't tell whether you are playing with your pet or offering them food. 100% of the time, they think you are offering them food. Can we blame them?

 

[Birdman666]

I kind of wonder now.... how many of these birds of prey that are going after pets used to be birds cared for by falconers?

Can't say I know a great deal about falconry, but I do recall reading how a falconer must capture a young bird of prey (under a year old) as their first "pet". They then train this bird to hunt and only take food from humans when it is offered. These birds can then later be released.


Birds of prey bred within captivity cannot be released into the wild.

Honestly I would say the percentage of these is so small that it would be insignificant to the overall wild population.

If any, those involved in Falconry, generally take their birds to hunt in more protected wild settings. Not in the local neighborhood... (It's kinda' highly illegal!)

There is a correlation, however, between human encroachment on nesting grounds, and hawks becoming aggressive with alternate food sources...

 

[MonicaMc]

DallyTsuka, I agree. After posting my last message, I came across a recent post by Copperarabian where her friends went out and captured two red tailed hawks. In that thread, she mentions this.

If you find trapping these young first year birds terrible, remember that most hawks and falcons don't reach their third year. Falconers often raise the birds and teach them to hunt for several years before releasing them back to the wild when they are old enough to breed. The majority of species they keep long term are captive breed, exotic, or hybred species that were never trapped.

http://www.parrotforums.com/others/41888-update-flying-vid-crazy-hawk.html



Birdman, I want to agree that it's probably a small percentage, if any, of falconer hawks that attack pets... but at the same time, falconers may have pets in their own home that these birds of prey get to see first hand.

I came across one person who keeps both parrots and falcons.

About Rebecca K. O'Connor Parrot Trainer | Heckled By Parrots

Then I did a search and ran across a falcon forum and there are at least a few falconers on the forum that also own parrots. I don't know their setups, their birds nor if they are capturing any young birds of prey and later releasing them, but the thought of some of these birds getting accustomed to humans then hunting pets is kind of scary.

 

[Birdman666]

DallyTsuka, I agree. After posting my last message, I came across a recent post by Copperarabian where her friends went out and captured two red tailed hawks. In that thread, she mentions this.

If you find trapping these young first year birds terrible, remember that most hawks and falcons don't reach their third year. Falconers often raise the birds and teach them to hunt for several years before releasing them back to the wild when they are old enough to breed. The majority of species they keep long term are captive breed, exotic, or hybred species that were never trapped.

http://www.parrotforums.com/others/41888-update-flying-vid-crazy-hawk.html



Birdman, I want to agree that it's probably a small percentage, if any, of falconer hawks that attack pets... but at the same time, falconers may have pets in their own home that these birds of prey get to see first hand.

I came across one person who keeps both parrots and falcons.

About Rebecca K. O'Connor Parrot Trainer | Heckled By Parrots

Then I did a search and ran across a falcon forum and there are at least a few falconers on the forum that also own parrots. I don't know their setups, their birds nor if they are capturing any young birds of prey and later releasing them, but the thought of some of these birds getting accustomed to humans then hunting pets is kind of scary.

NOT IN THE SAME PROXIMITY. The hawks would have to be kept in a separate bird barn, or you would stress the parrots out...

Mine actually know when they are around. My birds were going NUTS one day and I couldn't figure out why...

Then I left for work. When I got outside I saw crows attempting to fend off hawks, and the hawks raiding their nests, and carrying the babies off...

I couldn't hear it, and had no idea it was going on, BUT MY BIRDS SURE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING...

 

[SpotsandSally]

Got a fun story...

So my neighbor is a gazillion years old (hehe) and he loves telling stories, and they're always very interesting. He was talking about how he heard this story when he was working up north. This guy was holding his kid, a one year old, and set him down on the dock while he talked to his friends. The kid wasn't going to walk off (I don't know why, just that's what he said) and so he was just kinda doing kid stuff. Well a big golden eagle came down and tried to carry him off, but he was too big. But the eagles claws locked, and the bird just flapped towards the edge of the dock.

They killed the bird, but the kid lived and he has eagle scars on his back from where the talons hit.

 

[KeroRocks]

I saw a hawk attack and start eating a furry bunny right in front of me. Is it sick that I stopped my car and sat there and watched? And pointed it out to my boys to tell them to watch too? Tufts of bunny fur flying everywhere in the breeze.

Yeah, It's sick but it was amazing and awesome to see. My ex (current SO at the time) was totally freaked out and told me to keep driving. I was fascinated!

 

[Betrisher]

We call it 'Nature, red in tooth and claw'. It's what happens.

No one says you have to enjoy the painful death of the prey animal, but I defy anyone not to be humbled and awed by the skill and accuracy of a hunting raptor. I'd have been there right beside you, watching and pointing and marvelling at it all!

I've seen Wedge-tailed Eagles take rabbits and, honestly, it's rivetting to watch! The bird arrives from nowhere with his undercarriage fully deployed, beak straining forward and wings spread to their full seven foot stretch. It's magic!

Once, I saw a White Breasted Sea Eagle swoop and take a big carp (about six or seven pounds). Similar thing: bird came in from behind us with undercarriage deployed; bird hit the water with a sound like a gunshot; bird attempts to leave water with angry carp, wriggling for all he was worth. I don't know how the bird held on, the fish was kicking so hard. The amazing part was when the bird released one foot from the fish and repositioned his grip. During this process, he (the bird) was flapping laboriously, trying to get his wet wings free of the water and gain height. He ultimately did this and flew steadily off with his prize, presumably to a nest somewhere nearby.

Best one: I was on the phone to my Mum. Looking out my second-storey window as we chatted, I happened to notice a Ring-necked Dove on the clothesline just below. As if by magic, a big black blur passed across my field of vision and left nothing but a wee puffte of feathers falling gently down to land in my yard. It was a Peregrine Falcon and he had just gotten Take Away for his lunch before my very eyes. I think that was actually the first time I said '****' in front of my Mother...

 

[Newbsi]

Quick reaction and immediately protected her parrot!

Almost made me tear up. She was protecting her baby![ame="http://youtu.be/ikDpYwDKQ_A"]http://youtu.be/ikDpYwDKQ_A[/ame]

 

[itchyfeet]

Re: Quick reaction and immediately protected her parrot!

That's intense!

 

[Ann333]

Re: Quick reaction and immediately protected her parrot!

Wow! Good job!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Re: Quick reaction and immediately protected her parrot!

I showed this to my husband to enforce how fast a hawk can be at dive bombing from the sky... We have several pairs of red tail Hawks, they are constantly over my house. They are so beautiful, but dangerous to my bird. thx for the video.

 

[henpecked]

Re: Quick reaction and immediately protected her parrot!

Did you know that hawk was part of the show. That's not a wild hawk diving on someones pet. It's happening during a commercial (for money) bird show. The hawk was waiting off camera .

BTW jake didn't like that video at all.

 

[Birdman666]

That's amazing and one gutsy Red Tail. Sounds like he had something to prove.

It usually means they're just THAT desperate for food. I may die in the attempt, but if I don't attempt, I'm gonna die of starvation.

 

[Newbsi]

When you say part of the show, I do hope you meant a different show. I would really hope they wouldn't put the Cockatoo (or human) at risk on purpose. However if she knew what was coming, it would account for her quick action.