Hawks are part of the natural environment and essential for keeping small bird populations at sustainable levels. While it is difficult for some people to watch “their” birds get eaten, measures taken to slow predation down or stop it may just redirect the predators to some other area or train them to become more sophisticated hunters. Yet, people wishing to protect local birds will find the following steps helpful.
Temporarily Stop Feeding the Birds
This sounds like a drastic measure to take. Many people are concerned the birds might not be able to find enough to eat if the food source is removed. But by removing this food, the birds will simply search elsewhere as they do when natural food supplies for birds become exhausted. Once the birds are gone, the hawk will also move along - usually some distance from the area. When the hawk moves on, the feeders can be refilled, and the birds will return.
Provide Nearby Shelter for the Birds
Anything that forces a hawk or owl to slow down or maneuver when zooming in for the kill will provide extra time for birds to escape. Adding shelter usually enhances the overall enjoyment of feeding birds, increases property value, makes the yard more attractive, and many shrubs provide native foods for the birds – increasing the variety of birds at little future cost.
- Food and Shelter: Planting native shrubs such as winterberry holly, high bush cranberry, viburnums, hawthorns, and blueberry provide berries, color, and diversity to your landscaping.
- Color and Shelter: Witch hazel, red ozier dogwood, staghorn or winged sumach, and similar deciduous shrubs add a touch of color during the fall and winter.
- Evergreen Shelter: Shrubs such as rhododendrons, ornamental hollies, inkberry holly, and cedars provide flowers, fruit, and/or evergreen foliage into which the birds can disappear when danger threatens, and under which they can stay warm on cold winter nights.
Shrubs with bare winter twigs should be planted close to feeders as these only slightly reduce visibility at the feeder yet provide protection from flying raptors. Evergreen shrubs should be planted twenty or more feet away from feeders as they will provide shelter from wind, completely hide songbirds, and will require cats and hawks to be exposed over longer distances than they prefer when hunting.
Quick and Easy-to-install Shelters for Birds
Putting up a U-shaped temporary plastic lattice fencing or trellis with large openings provides shelter and reduces the speed of attack by flying predators. To be most effective, a shelter should have some depth to it that allows the birds to zig-zag in their flight from an arial predator. Small to medium sized birds can flit in and out, but hawk-sized birds and cats are kept out.
Some people go to large retailers during their after Christmas sales and purchase plastic evergreen trees at reduced prices. Putting them about twenty feet from the feeders simulates evergreen shrubs. If there are discarded Christmas trees lying at curbside, these also do a fine job even after the needles fall off. Stand them up or lay them on their sides. Either method is effective.
Brush Piles
A pile of tree trimmings or discarded shrubs is instant shelter. The branches should not be too dense so the birds can flit deeply into the pile. Remove this early in the spring if concerned about snakes (bird predators), rodents, and other vermin also using these shelters.
If neighbors disapprove of one of these quick and easy shelters, simply place a large sign on it: "Temporary Bird Shelter - No longer feeding hawks" or the like.
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