Holy CRAP! Red-tailed hawk swooped down on my little dog today!

[Anonymous]

^^and btw we don't live on a farm or anything, just a regular back yard in a suburb in LA, more like Arlington than Great Falls. These two incidents happened over time...we had one pet duck, then later, one pet chicken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I had no idea large birds went after cats. I see them outside and I don't even live in a woodsy area.

There was a news story last spring about a bald eagle parent bringing in a cat to feed its eaglets. It was seen live on a nest cam in Pennsylvania. Very upsetting to many viewers, although experts suggested it was likely carrion. That's how so many eagles are killed by cars. They are great scavengers.
I became fascinated with the DC bald eagle nest cam and started following several other raptor nest cams. One of them in Iowa showed bald eagle parents bringing in a partially dressed turkey left behind by a hunter and half of a fawn.

Tragically, one time the mother brought tainted prey-- tests later confirmed that it was poisoned with a common off label use of some chemical by a homeowner-- that was eaten by one of the eaglets and herself. Over the next few hours, the eaglet slowly died, and the mother flailed around the nest in clear neurological distress. It was so horrible. If you ever need to deal with some kind of pest, please find away to do so without poison. The mice, rats, raccoons, etc. are part in the food chain, and the consequences are extensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My aunt and uncle always had to watch their little dogs when they were out in the yard as the hawks would try and snatch them up. Definitely keep a very close eye on your pup from now on since you know the hawks are around.

Vet told me anything over 5 lbs was safe. Guess not

No they can fly away with a max wieght of about 10 pounds, but they can kill or injury a much larger dog...or cat.

Yep, similar to a racoon, the real risk/danger is how badly they can injure the animal. They often won't be able to fly off with it but in the effort can really mess up your pet.

[Anonymous]

I rowed under an osprey nest recently and got dive bombed - the osprey came literally screaming out of the tree above me and almost brushed my hat with its talons. That was quite something. I love to watch birds of prey, and I agree with a PP that there seem to be many more now than there were when I was growing up. I can't recall ever seeing a bird of prey aside from owls and I spent a lot of time in the woods. I wonder if it is due to cleaner air and water now than 30 years ago.

Anyway, OP, I hope your little doggie is well and safe and stays well away from hawks! Maybe you could get him a tutu or something that makes him look bigger than he is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see hawks and falcons in our neighborhood. I am terrified one will get my cat one day.

Fair payback for all the songbirds killed by people's outdoor cats.

Humans have killed a billion more songbirds with their homes with windows, and offices everywhere with the lights on all the time.
If you and your home went away there'd be a ton more songbirds - how about that?

The biggest killer of bald eagles is cars. Who drives those I wonder?

Humans domesticated cats and keep cats. It's not the cats' fault. It's humans' fault. Keep your cats indoors, people.

[Anonymous]

We live in the city and have seen them dive bomb in our back yard. Pest control.

[Anonymous]

I had come home for lunch one day and as I stood at the kitchen window enjoying a warm, spring breeze (just lovely) I noticed something stir in our little dogwood tree. That was when I noticed the hawk sitting there munching away on what was left of a bird, blood dripping off of it. Eeek!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My aunt and uncle always had to watch their little dogs when they were out in the yard as the hawks would try and snatch them up. Definitely keep a very close eye on your pup from now on since you know the hawks are around.

Vet told me anything over 5 lbs was safe. Guess not

from distance hawk thought he was only about 3lbs or so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I rowed under an osprey nest recently and got dive bombed - the osprey came literally screaming out of the tree above me and almost brushed my hat with its talons. That was quite something. I love to watch birds of prey, and I agree with a PP that there seem to be many more now than there were when I was growing up. I can't recall ever seeing a bird of prey aside from owls and I spent a lot of time in the woods. I wonder if it is due to cleaner air and water now than 30 years ago.

Anyway, OP, I hope your little doggie is well and safe and stays well away from hawks! Maybe you could get him a tutu or something that makes him look bigger than he is.

There are many more now because DDT was banned in 1972. DDT made the eggshells soft and fragile. They would break during incubation.

DDT is still used in Mexico.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see hawks and falcons in our neighborhood. I am terrified one will get my cat one day.

Fair payback for all the songbirds killed by people's outdoor cats.

Humans have killed a billion more songbirds with their homes with windows, and offices everywhere with the lights on all the time.
If you and your home went away there'd be a ton more songbirds - how about that?

The biggest killer of bald eagles is cars. Who drives those I wonder?

+1 Cats will be cats. Humans on the other hand . . .

Cats are not native and they belong indoors. Songbirds haven't evolved to avoid cats, so it's not a fair contest and in fact cats have been linked directly to dozens of extinctions of bird species, that's right, extinctions. (I think it might actually be over 100 of species extinct, but I'd need to go look that up.) Cats--pets and strays--are responsible for many multiples of the deaths attributable to humans via cars and windows. The research is unambiguous, and there really isn't any research saying the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's about 12 pounds - a yorkie/poodle/jack russell mix. It came about 6 feet from him overhead and veered back up when it saw me and our larger dog. We were in the front yard. We've lived here 15 years and first time I've seen this happen, though we see hawks frequently (I'm out in Great Falls).

I've heard the hawk call out to it's partner (presumably) frequently lately and wonder if they have a nest nearby or are actually stalking my little dog. He's never out alone, always close in the front or back yard, and right near my larger dog and I or my husband. Will put him on a leash from now on (he's afraid of it, believe it or not) and keep him closer.

Scary stuff!!

Turkey vultures can also catch him. Vets have also seen dogs [death due to deer stomping].

[Anonymous]

I've also seen hawks catch flying crows, break up squirrel nests like pinatas, plus the deer chasing dogs to stomp.