The presence of domestic fowl, such as chickens, often attracts the attention of various wild bird species. This raises a common concern for flock owners about the risk of aerial attacks. Understanding this avian interaction is an early step in protecting a backyard flock. The dynamic involves both hunting and opportunistic feeding behaviors, creating a risk profile for the prey animals.
The Direct Answer: Predation in the Avian World
Yes, certain bird species are known to prey upon chickens, especially when the opportunity arises. Predation from the air typically involves raptors, which are carnivorous birds of prey. These birds are equipped with sharp talons and hooked beaks necessary for hunting and consuming meat. They generally target the easiest available food source, making vulnerable chickens a potential meal.
This predatory behavior is usually opportunistic, focusing on individuals that are easy to catch. Smaller targets, like young chicks or bantam breeds, are at a higher risk because they can be more easily carried away. Adult chickens that are sick, injured, or isolated from the flock are also more likely to be targeted. Other birds may engage in scavenging, feeding on a chicken carcass killed by another animal.
Identification of Common Avian Threats
Avian threats can be categorized based on their hunting times and preferred prey size. Diurnal raptors, such as Red-tailed Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks, hunt during the day and pose the greatest threat to free-ranging chickens. The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most common raptors seen preying on poultry, often surveying an area from an elevated perch before swooping down. Cooper’s Hawks are smaller, often preferring wooded habitats, and may target smaller chickens or chicks.
Nocturnal predators, most notably the Great Horned Owl, hunt during the nighttime hours. These large owls are capable of killing full-sized chickens and may attack birds roosting inside an unsecured coop. Owl attacks are often identified by a kill found at the coop with the head and neck consumed, as they use their talons to pierce the prey’s head.
Corvid species, which include crows and ravens, are generally opportunistic egg and chick predators rather than hunters of adult birds. These intelligent birds may take eggs or very young hatchlings. They rarely have the size or strength to take down a healthy, full-grown hen.
Mitigation Through Environmental Design
Protecting a flock from aerial threats requires creating physical and environmental barriers that disrupt the predator’s hunting strategy. Installing overhead coverage is the most effective structural modification to prevent raptor attacks. Covering the chicken run with sturdy poultry netting, plastic netting, or wire mesh prevents hawks and owls from diving into the enclosure. For larger runs, crisscrossing thin wires or fishing line strung across the top can also disrupt a raptor’s flight path.
Owners should ensure the coop is fully secure and lock the birds inside every night before dusk. Since raptors often hunt from elevated positions, reducing nearby perching spots minimizes the time they spend near the flock. Clearing tall weeds, brush, and dead trees near the enclosure eliminates cover for ground predators and potential vantage points for aerial hunters.
Providing visual deterrents can also discourage daylight attacks. Hanging reflective objects, such as old CDs or strips of flash tape, near or over the run can confuse and scare away raptors due to the unpredictable flashes of light.