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How to Prevent Hawks and Falcons from Killing Backyard Birds

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The typically peaceful bird feeder breaks into commotion as a large, fast shape flies past the window. The typical birds of the yard scatter and for a while, the feeders are empty and quiet.

Hawks and falcons are predatory birds that frequently take advantage of bird feeding stations as a source of concentrated prey. Some people love to see hawks in their yard as they are an important part of the ecosystem and a key link in the food chain. However, there are others who can’t stand hawks because they kill the backyard birds that they have cared for and loved to watch.

If you feed birds, hawks will certainly be a potential problem for your backyard birds. While there is no way to prevent them coming to your yard, there are some things you can do to help the birds at your feeders survive a visit from a hawk or falcon. Here are some things you can do to prevent hawks and falcons from killing your backyard birds.

Provide cover from above

Hawks and falcons have incredible eyesight and often spot prey while flying or perched high up in trees. To keep birds out of the sight of hawks, put feeders under something covered. Whether it’s a tree, an awning, or a structure built specifically for feeder cover, something to conceal the birds from predators flying above can be very helpful in mitigating the number of casualties at your bird feeder.

Provide ground cover

Another way to help out backyard birds is by providing low cover near bird feeders. If hawks and falcons do visit, it’s helpful for birds to have an easy escape route. Shrubs, bushes, and thick trees can all serve as places for small birds to conceal themselves in the event of a hawk or falcon attack. Combining high cover and low cover can definitely go a long way in giving backyard birds a fighting chance.

Black-capped Chickadee

Put up window decals

Hawks and falcons have learned to take advantage of the panic that ensues when they dive bomb a bird feeder. Often times, birds are in such a hurry to escape that they fly right into windows. The birds that hit the window end up stunned or deceased, making them significantly easier to catch. Some sources say that this is an intentional practice learned by hawks in particular, but it may also be coincidence. To help prevent birds from hitting the windows while a predatory bird is around, placing decals on the windows can show birds that the path is not clear and steer them in a direction where they can actually escape.

Take down feeders

If a predatory bird finds a feeding station and thus an easy source of food, they will often come back time and time again to hunt. Taking down bird feeders for one to two weeks can be an effective way of breaking the pattern. The downside to this method is that the birds typically visiting the feeder will also need to find a different food source while the feeders are down. While many of them will eventually come back, this could be hard on the birds if they are accustomed to the easy food source (especially in winter when food is far less plentiful). Nevertheless, it is a way to persuade a predatory bird to move on from your bird feeder.

Cooper’s Hawk

Do nothing

Hawks and falcons are natural parts of the bird world and while their presence can be saddening for those that feed birds, predatory birds are actually helpful to have around. They aid in the preventing certain species from overpopulating an area and they eat other types of animals that can be pests such as mice. While trying to fight back against predatory birds (metaphorically speaking) has been the norm for many backyard bird watchers, sometimes accepting their presence can actually be the best thing to do.

Seeing birds of prey taking backyard birds from your bird feeder can certainly be distressing, but by using these tips, you can give your backyard birds the best chance possible to escape unharmed. However, as stated previously, sometimes the best thing to do is to learn to live with these natural predators and enjoy the circle of life taking place in your own backyard.

2022 Birding Blog, ID Tips

Cooper’s Hawk vs. Sharp-shinned Hawk

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Cooper’s vs. Sharp-shinned Hawk is one of the most common identification questions for backyard birders. Adults both have a gray/blue back, long legs, and a banded tail, and juveniles also look similar to each other. However, if you know the identification points to look for, it can be much easier to differentiate the two.

When deciding between a Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned Hawk one of the first things to consider is range. The range of the Cooper’s Hawk spans over more of the United States year round, with Sharp-shinned Hawks spreading out more in the winter. Depending on the time of year, this could narrow down your choices.

Range

Size

First, let’s start with features that apply to adult and juvenile birds. In general, Sharp-shinned Hawks will be smaller than Cooper’s Hawks with the average individual measuring about 12.5 inches, and the average Cooper’s Hawk measuring about 16.5 inches. However, females are larger than males in both species and a large female Sharp-shinned Hawk can be about the same size as a small male Cooper’s Hawk. In general, if the bird seems very small (about Blue-jay size or smaller for Sharp-shinned) or very large (about crow sized or larger for Cooper’s) then then size can be used fairly reliably.

Shape

Another field mark present in both adults and juveniles is body shape and head size. Sharp-shinned Hawks will appear to not have much of a neck, with a small head. Cooper’s Hawks will appear to have normal proportions compared to other hawks. This feature can also be noticed in flight. The general body shape of a Sharp-shinned Hawk will also appear barrel chested with smaller hips, making the bird look top heavy, almost like the Hawk version of Gaston from beauty and the beast. The Cooper’s hawk body shape will be much more tubular with a center of gravity more near the middle of the body.

Legs

In adults and juveniles Sharp-shinned Hawks will appear to have longer thinner legs than Cooper’s Hawks and the eye on the Sharp-shinned may appear closer to the middle of the back and front of the head where in the Cooper’s they may appear closer to the front of the head, although this field mark can be subjective.

Tail

If you get a clear view of the tail this can also assist with ID, although I wouldn’t rely on this as your only field mark. In general, Cooper’s Hawks will have tail feathers that appear more rounded at this tips, while they are more squared off in the Sharp-shinned Hawk. This can be deceiving depending on how spread out the feathers are, and if there are missing feathers. There can also be differences in the amount of white on the tail tip (Cooper’s Hawks will have a broader white tip of the tailfeathers while Sharp-shinned may show a thinner white band) but this can be worn off the feathers which makes it a difficult feature to use reliably.

Flight Pattern

In flight, the Cooper’s Hawk will often fly with slower wingbeats before gliding. Sharp-shinned Hawks may have a more erratic-looking flight with faster wingbeats before gliding.

Hood vs. Cap

Now let’s move on to characteristics of only adult birds. Both Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks will have gray-blue backs with rufous and white barring on their chests, and red eyes. One of the more distinctive differences in adults is that the Sharp-shinned Hawk will often appear hooded with a dark nape while the Cooper’s Hawk will appear capped, white a light nape.

Neck

Sharp-shinned Hawks may also appear as though they don’t have a neck, while Cooper’s Hawks will normally show a more pronounced neck.

Chest Streaking

Now let’s move on to the juveniles. Juveniles of both species have brown backs with white spots, brown streaks on the chest, and yellow eyes. The most reliable color field mark is that the streaking on the chest is bold and larger in Sharp-shinned Hawks (it may also appear more blurry) and is thinner and more defined in Cooper’s Hawks. The streaking may also not go down as far on the lower stomach in Cooper’s Hawks.

Behavior

There are also some more anecdotal behaviors that have been noted between the species that may be true some of the time but not always. It’s been suggested that Sharp-shinned Hawks prefer to perch in trees and shrubs while Cooper’s Hawks may be found more often on fences or poles. Additionally, Cooper’s Hawks may target larger prey such as does while Sharp-shinned Hawks might go after smaller birds.

Summary

In summary, an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk will normally appear smaller with almost no neck, a broad chest, a hooded head, long thin legs, eyes closer to the middle of the head, and a squared off tail with a thin white tip. In flight they may also appear more erratic. Cooper’s Hawks will generally be larger with a capped head, normal neck, tubular appearance, thicker legs, eyes closer to the beak, and rounded tail feathers with a thicker white band at the end. Their wingbeats in flight may also appear slower. Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks will have more streaking on the chest that appears almost blurry, while Cooper’s Hawks will have finer, more defined streaking with possible less on the lower stomach. While you’re out in the field try to note as many ID features as you can and get photos when in doubt. In the end, it’s always okay to mark the bird down as a Cooper’s/Sharp-shinned Hawk. This is a tricky ID, but hopefully with these tips, you’ll be armed with the best knowledge about differentiating these two species.

If you prefer to watch our video on the topic, check out the link below!