Problem, A little like Lisa's

13 years ago

This is different than Lisa's but the result is the same. I have two feeders for Gold Finches..no problem there..but it seems to draw a hawk to my area. Twice this week early morning I am finding a "pile" of white feathers on my patio. I thought it was from two of my neighbors pet cats. But today another neighbor told me it was from a hawk. Should I quite feeding the gold finches so I don't draw the hawk to kill this larger bird? The hawks have been around here for years but I haven't had any problems till now.

Thanks for your advice.

Comments (6)

birding_nut
13 years ago
Hmm...I doubt a hawk would leave two piles of feathers on your patio. That means the hawk caught the birds, flew to patio, and ate them. I highly doubt it. One yeah, two...hard to believe. My guess it is the cats...and the neighbor trying to blame the hawk. I have a sharp-shinned hawk show up every fall in my yard and kill birds at or near the feeders (nature, no problem). I have a large cement patio and never find feathers there. But do see the hawk eating birds on my fence, in the trees, and in the lawn. Never on my patio. Just my experience and opinion. Sounds like kitties are bringing the birds to the patio.

BN
alan_la
13 years ago
Hawks usually take their kill away, cats however tend to bring then home, I agree with BN.
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dzyg
13 years ago
I disagree that hawks usually take their kill away to eat it. I have seen several both Coopers and Sharp Shinned catch and kill a bird and eat it right there. Twice I saw the hawk flying low and then sharp turn to catch the bird, land on the ground and kill it with their talons. Then they defeather the bird and eat it. If there are no threats to it, the hawk will eat it where it caught and killed it. Now you wouldn't think a hawk would stay on the patio but if it caught the bird there, it might have. Where there all the feathers of a bird or just larger feathers, any blood or anything else with the feathers. Usually there is one or two small bloody things in a hawk feather pile.

Donna
donnakt_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
It happened two different times but in the last few weeks. I have a wall around the patio and the white feathers are neatly in a pile on the top of the wall..no other signs of a bird remaining. If it happens again I'll take a picture of it so you can see what I mean.

Thanks for all of your responses.
terrene
13 years ago
If the feathers are neatly placed in a pile, it sounds like a hawk de-feathering the bird before eating it. I once found a circular pile of Caroline Wren feathers in front near the bird bath. Cats will not leave a tidy pile or any pile. Besides, if it were the neighbor's cat, they would take the bird to the neighbor's patio, not yours. My cat has occasionally caaught a bird and she brings it to the deck and eats it, leaving only a couple tufts of feathers in a disarray.

It is helpful for the birds to have thick shrubbery or evergreens somewhat near the placement of the feeders or bird baths, within about 10-12 feet, so they have a chance to escape into cover from a hawk. Also keep the feeders and baths in the open at least 5-6 feet away from perennials or such where a cat might be lurking (learned that the hard way, which is how my cat caught the birds!).
lucypwd
13 years ago
Well, this explains the mysterious pile of feathers with one bloody "thing" that I found. Not just a few feathers but a whole pile of feathers - nothing left over but the "thing". I found it on the aggregate path next to the house - not at all private. We do have hawks that pass by. Would an owl leave the same pile feathers?

Problem, A little like Lisa's

Comments (6)

birding_nut

alan_la

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Problem, A little like Lisa's

Comments (6)

birding_nut

alan_la

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