# hawk I think



## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Just been down to my avery and there was a huge bird on the roof it had a hooked beak like a kesterel but was about the size of a chicken or a bit bigger with huge wing span when it took off it was mid brown colour,think it must have been after the budgies as they had all gone into there roosting area,any ideas what it could have been


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## sillygilly (Oct 6, 2009)

sounds like a buzzard. we have loads around here, they are magnificent birds


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## tafwoc (Nov 12, 2009)

It may have been a young buzard. They grow to be huge though. There are alot where i live.


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## Jo P (Dec 10, 2007)

I suspect a sparrow hawk


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Sparrow hawks are about the size of a magpie.
Common Buzzard


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

In the town we have a pest control for the pidgeons he goes around with a hawk and lost it a while back wondering if it is his as it did"nt seem bothered by me and I am quite near the town the one he lost was a Harris Hawk


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Red Tail Buzzard

Harris Hawk


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Hawksport it would"nt attack the dogs would it,as its now perched on the fence


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Lovely pictures mistery solved it is a Harris Hawk looks exactly the same as your photo Thanks


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

It could do but will more than likely scream it's head of at them. If you phone the IBR on 01748830112 they should be able to contact a local falconer who will lure it down and get it returned to it's owner before it gets itself into trouble. Can you see if it has any equipment on its legs?


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes it has,I have phoned the man who lost his as he asked in the local paper if spotted would people phone him he sounded as if he thought it was his as it had been spotted at the weekend in the forest behind our house,dont think it will leave the garden as seems intent on getting a few budgies


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## JANICE199 (Feb 1, 2008)

*Quick get your camera out and start taking some pics.*


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

You've not got rabbits or anything in the garden have you?


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

I will if I can take them from the window I"m not going out there with that big beasty out therehmy:


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

JANICE199 said:


> *Quick get your camera out and start taking some pics.*


i was just thinking the same thing, hahahahaha,,


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

There not nasty, just like cuddly budgies


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## JANICE199 (Feb 1, 2008)

suewhite said:


> I will if I can take them from the window I"m not going out there with that big beasty out therehmy:


*It wont hurt you.*


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes a few guinea pigs!! I"ll take your word that it wont hurt me the way it looked at me I"m not so sure


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

suewhite said:


> Yes a few guinea pigs!! I"ll take your word that it wont hurt me the way it looked at me I"m not so sure


hee hee hee, maybe its hungry, and thinks of you as dinner !!!!!!!.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

They would be in serious danger if the hawk can see them. Anything upto small terrier size is fair game.


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Just going to rescue them and put them in the greenhouse until it"s sorted,if this forum does"nt hear from me again it"s got me,I"ll take the camera with me,but if it comes to near me it"s every pigs for itself.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

You're lucky it's not one of these they take wolves with no problem.


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## Jo P (Dec 10, 2007)

The sparrow hawk that used to take our pigeons was a tad bigger than a maggie!! and it was a vicious lil bugger too!!!


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

A magpie is 16-20 inches total length. A spar is 14-16 inches and a musket 11-13 inches total length.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

suewhite said:


> Just going to rescue them and put them in the greenhouse until it"s sorted,if this forum does"nt hear from me again it"s got me,I"ll take the camera with me,but if it comes to near me it"s every pigs for itself.


well i guess it must of got her,,,,,she hasnt come back online,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.........


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Looks like it


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

I"m back and live to post another day The hawkman came just as I"d rescued the last pig,it was his and he finally managed to get it to go to him he seemed to be showing it dead chicks!!could"nt see alot as I was taking refuge indoors he said it had a transmitter on it but that had stopped working,now I know why every morning there have been piles of pigeon feathers in the garden.Was"nt really frightened of it (liar)


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## Honeybunny1984 (Jan 21, 2010)

waw i would love to have seen him, back in july a male sparrowhawk flew into the garden and landed on the aviary, i was sitting less than ten feet away watching my birdies as usual , he obviously didnt see me or he wouldnt have stayed there, he had no jesses so i assume he was wild, he was stunning with his orangey striped chest and blue/gray back but i remember his eyes were nearly red, it was amazing, everyone was raging they missed it LOL i have always wanted to have a raptor of some kind but theres no way i could feed it chicks or rats yuck unless of course it would eat cooked chicken LOL, did you manage to get any pics??


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Glad he's back home there are far too many living wild.


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## Honeybunny1984 (Jan 21, 2010)

hawksport said:


> They would be in serious danger if the hawk can see them. Anything upto small terrier size is fair game.


a sparrowhawk wouldnt go for my little chihuahua would it


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

You and your dog are quite safe around sparrowawks they are bird specialists. I do know of one that flew out of somebodies car into a car that had stopped at the side of them and attached itself to a dog on the back seat but there is no chance of a wild one doing it. Harris hawks and redtails are a different matter allthough Ive never accidently caught anyones dog they were walking where they shouldn't be


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## Honeybunny1984 (Jan 21, 2010)

thank goodness for that, got a bit of a fright there to be honest when you mentioned harris hawks taking terriers, never entered my mind before but our chihuahua Freddy is tiny we sometimes see a hen sparrowhawk flying around as well and my neighbour said he sees buzzards from time to time would they take my little freddy


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

will take small mammals as well as birds, or even big insects - 
when the 17-year cicada hatch was on, the kestrels were eating them very happily.  

they will hover over grassy meadows to watch for rodents, and take mice, voles, and similar sized prey. 
beautiful birds, our most colorful raptor in North America. 
--- terry


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

leashedForLife said:


> will take small mammals as well as birds, or even big insects -
> when the 17-year cicada hatch was on, the kestrels were eating them very happily.
> 
> they will hover over grassy meadows to watch for rodents, and take mice, voles, and similar sized prey.
> ...


Sparrowhawks not Kestrels. Sparrowhawks never hover and your kestrels are a different species to ours.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

glad it all ended well, and its back home where it belongs,


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

*honeybunny* said:


> thank goodness for that, got a bit of a fright there to be honest when you mentioned harris hawks taking terriers, never entered my mind before but our chihuahua Freddy is tiny we sometimes see a hen sparrowhawk flying around as well and my neighbour said he sees buzzards from time to time would they take my little freddy


Common buzzards have very small feet and struggle even with rabbits. He is in no danger from any WILD b.o.p.


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Thanks everyone this has been really interesting,now the hawk has returned home I must say it was a stunning bird,I think thats why so many of the birds in the avery were injured think it must have spooked them as it had been missing for a month so dont think that was the first time it had visited my garden as plenty of food Budgies,Guinea pigs,one good thing the magpies did a runner


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Did you get any photos?


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

yes a couple just taking the dogs out ,so when I come back will try and put them on never done it before so fingers crossed


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

To attach a photo to a post click on the little paperclip which will bring up another window to upload from your computer click on 'browse' find the picture you want left click on picture and then upload, once uploaded close the window click on the paperclip again and then click on the uploaded image - you should then have your photo in your post


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

I am bored so I'll give you a bit of useless information. The Harris Hawk, Parabuteo (meaning similar to a buzzard) unicintus (refering to the white band an the tail) is the only species in its genus. It comes halfway between the buzzards, having their wing shape and the hawks, having their tail length. It is also the only species of bop to practice polyandry, where one female will take multiple breeding partners with all helping to rear chicks. It is also the only species of bop to hunt in groups all year round.


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## kelseye (Aug 16, 2009)

we have common buzzards always see them on me fence early hours of the morning next time will take a pic if it stays long enougth for me to get my cam lol


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Common buzzards really have become common over the last ten or so years, I know four nest sites within five miles of me and see at least two or three every day. They are a bit of a nuisance when they come over the house because they start mine of with the territorial screaming.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

> Sparrowhawks never hover and your kestrels are a different species to ours.


i am so sorry , sport - 
as usual, the Common Name of the N-American kestrel is also *sparrowhawk* here. 
common-names or alternative-names of CHICKEN * HAWK when i was a child, included 17 species - not all of whom would or even *could *take a decent-sized hen.  
common names are as confusing in birds as they are in plants; botanists + gardeners Hate! common-names with good reason.



> American Kestrel, The Sparrow Hawk. Favorite Son of Falconry | Scienceray
> EXCERPT -
> _ Although a falcon which might suggest a diet of only mammals, the American kestrel's diet is mostly insects. [snip]
> 
> ...


i saw them often around our family-farm + in the county around; i have yet to see one in coastal-Va. Redtails + Harriers, as well as Bald Eagles + Black Vultures + Turkey Vultures, are seen here seasonally or year-round.

the pics are gorgeous - thanks for posting them! :thumbup: 
all my best, 
--- terry


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