FAQs

Due to the outstanding success of the Hawk Talk: Ask an Expert feature, we are now posting some of the more frequently asked questions (FAQs). Browse through the questions here to learn more about birds and see if your inquiry is listed below. Do you have a question that you do not see answered here? You can submit your own Hawk Talk here. And remember, you can ask questions about any bird, not just hawks!

Adult Cooper's Hawk

Can a raptor carry away/eat my pet?

How do birds migrate?

What do hawks eat?

What's that hawk at my feeder?

How many species of hawks are there?

How do I stop hawks visiting my feeder?

Can a raptor carry away/eat my pet?

Raptors hunt a variety of prey, including rodents, birds, rabbits, snakes, and insects. And yes, large raptors, such as Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owls, can indeed kill a small pet. We have received dozens of inquiries about 6-pound dogs, 10 pound dogs, 10½ pound dogs, etc., all the way up to a 60 pound dog. There is no specific cut-off weight at which your pet’s safety is guaranteed. If the size of your dog or cat is similar to or not much larger than naturally occurring raptor prey, there is a risk.
If you are concerned about your dog or cat, the best advice we can give you is to keep your pet indoors or supervise them closely outdoors. There are several good reasons to keep cats indoors. Outdoor cats face considerable danger from vehicle traffic, as well as harassment from larger animals, such as dogs and coyotes. We think these threats are responsible for a much greater share of mortality than raptors. In addition, outdoor cats are responsible for killing millions of wild birds every year. Turnabout may not seem fair play when it comes to a raptor threatening our beloved cat, but by allowing our cats to roam free, we are exposing them to this uncommon danger.
When it comes to dogs, we know it is often necessary to keep them outdoors. If you live in an area with a substantial population of large hawks and owls, perhaps you can protect your dog by providing an outdoor shelter or covered run.
As pet-owners ourselves, we at Hawks Aloft share your concern for the safety of your pet. But while keeping your pets secure, we encourage you to take an extra moment and appreciate the remarkable wildlife that also shares your space. Like our faithful dogs and cuddly cats, backyard birds and wildlife can greatly enrich our lives.

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How do birds migrate?

Most raptors migrate to a more favorable climate, usually south, for the winter. Many small birds such as water birds and song birds also migrate. However, some birds do not migrate for the winter, and others only move to a lower elevation within the same general area.
Most small birds migrate at night to avoid predators such as hawks. Hawks migrate during the day, generally over land. They fly predictable paths and use rising columns of air called thermals. Hawks will soar up inside a thermal without flapping their wings. They then glide to another thermal and rise up in that thermal. This enables hawks to migrate in an energy-efficient manner, primarily by gliding and not by actively flapping their wings.
Because most hawks migrate using thermals, they must travel over land. Large bodies of water do not produce strong thermals and are generally avoided. This forces most of the fall migrant hawks to funnel though central America. Because all of these hawks are forced to travel over this narrow land bridge, flocks of several thousand hawks can be seen every day during migration in many central American countries.

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What do hawks eat?

All raptors are carnivores and therefore, eat only meat. The type of animal preyed upon varies. Different families of raptors catch and consume different kinds of prey. Accipiters such as the Cooper's Hawk, feed on small birds and also mammals such as cottontail rabbits and squrrels. Falcons generally eat other birds, such as small songbirds, medium-sized birds such as rock pigeons, or even larger birds such as ducks and waterfowl. Hawks and Owls typically prey upon ground dwelling mammals such as mice, voles, rats, squirrels and rabbits. Fish make up a large proportion of the Bald Eagle's diet. Some species such as the Osprey, a fish-eating specialist, eat only one food type.
Many small raptors are termed “insectivorous” due to the high percentage of insects in their diet. Even though all raptors are strictly carnivorous, the diet of any one individual may vary. It is important to remember that while these predators may feed upon animals we find cute or fun to watch, predation is a natural part of the food chain. Without predation, our world would be over run with small mammals and insects.

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What's that hawk at my feeder?

We often receive questions regarding smallish, gray-brown birds that are observed preying upon small birds at feeders. The bird described is almost certainly a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk. Both are members of the accipiter family; forest dwelling birds that are designed to chase prey through dense vegetation. They have long tails that act like rudders to steer with, and short wings that help them fly in confined areas. The plumage is very similar in both species, so identification is difficult.
Over 95% of the diet of the Sharp-shinned Hawk is small birds, but only about 50% of the diet of a Cooper's Hawk is small to medium-sized birds, such as American Robin and Mourning Dove. Cooper's Hawks also eat an equal amount of mammals such as squirrels and cottontail rabbits. Sharpies are quite a bit smaller than Cooper’s Hawks.

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How many species of hawks are there?

This seemingly easy question is actually quite complex. First of all, we have to define the word “hawk”. In North America, the word hawk is used to describe both soaring hawks (Buteos) such as Red-tailed Hawks, and forest hawks (Accipiters) such as Cooper’s Hawks. In Europe; however, the soaring hawks are commonly called buzzards. For ease of answering this question, we will use the North American terminology.
Hawks are part of the Accipitridae family, of which there are 238 species worldwide, and 28 species in North America. This family includes kites, harriers, hawks, and eagles. Hawks comprise 17 of these 28 North American species. Additionally, there are 4 species of eagle, 7 species of falcon, and 22 species of owl in North America. These figures include both common North American residents, and a few species that make rare, but well documented visits to North America.

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How do I stop hawks visiting my feeder?

It is difficult to value predatory birds, particularly when they feed on the songbirds that depend on your back yard as a food source. However, predation is a necessary part of nature, and these birds prey on weak, injured, on incautious animals. Hawks work hard to find food and are not wanton killers. Juvenile birds often hone their hunting skills near backyard bird feeders, where there is a reliable source of food, but many young hawks often do not find enough food, and die within their first year.
Predation of songbirds is a necessary part of the natural life cycle, and ‘survival of the fittest’ in action. There are not really any easy fixes to prevent the hawks from coming to a backyard feeder, other than removing the feeder. This however, is not desirable from the point of view of the songbirds! One thing that might be attempted is to stop filling the feeders for about a week (preferably not during a really cold snap) and the hawks may well move on to other feeding grounds (and the songbirds will return once you start filling the feeders again).

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