Supporting backyard bird populations often conflicts with the presence of native raptors, which view feeder visitors as potential prey. The objective is to make your property a less appealing hunting ground for raptors while still welcoming songbirds. Achieving this balance involves understanding hawk hunting strategies and then implementing specific visual, motion, and environmental modifications.
Understanding Hawk Hunting Behavior
Hawks are highly effective predators, making selective deterrence a nuanced challenge. Their hunting strategies generally fall into two categories: the ambush and the high-speed dive. Raptors like the Cooper’s Hawk often hunt by ambush, perching in a concealed location near a feeding area and executing a quick, short-range attack.
Hawks’ predatory success is driven by exceptional visual acuity, allowing them to spot small prey from great distances. Their eyes often possess two foveae, providing sharp central vision and a downward-focused field for scanning the ground while in flight. Some hawks, such as the Red-tailed Hawk, rely on wide lateral vision to scan open areas, while others, like the Cooper’s Hawk, have wider binocular fields suited for hunting in dense cover.
Selective Visual and Motion Deterrents
Targeting a hawk’s sophisticated visual system is an effective strategy for selective deterrence. Hawks are wary of sudden, unpredictable movement and bright, flashing light, which can disrupt their concentration or signal danger. Hanging strips of reflective tape, often called flash tape, or old compact discs near feeding stations creates this necessary visual disturbance.
The reflective material spins and flashes in the breeze, producing an unpredictable glare that is highly visible to the hawk’s keen eyes. These items must be placed strategically to catch the light and should be moved every few weeks. Moving them prevents the raptor from becoming accustomed to their presence.
Specialized netting can also be used to cover the open air above a feeding area. This acts as a physical barrier that prevents a diving hawk from reaching the ground. Small birds are still able to pass through the mesh safely.
Adjusting Landscapes and Feeding Stations
Modifying the physical environment to favor small birds’ escape is a highly effective, passive deterrence method. Small birds require immediate cover to evade a fast-moving hawk, so feeders should be placed within 8 to 10 feet of dense shrubbery, brush piles, or evergreen trees. This close proximity gives the smaller birds a quick, safe refuge into which a larger hawk cannot easily follow.
It is helpful to position feeders under natural or artificial cover, such as a low-hanging tree branch, an awning, or a gazebo. This overhead protection forces an attacking hawk to approach from the side, which is a more challenging maneuver and gives the prey an extra moment to escape. Avoiding the scattering of seed on the ground is also important, as ground-feeding birds are more exposed and have limited options for a quick retreat.
Legal and Humane Practices
Nearly all native hawks and other raptors are protected by federal law in the United States. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) makes it illegal to pursue, hunt, capture, or kill almost any native bird, including hawks, without a permit. Therefore, any attempt to deter hawks must be non-lethal and non-harmful.
If hawk predation becomes severe, the most humane and effective temporary action is to remove all bird feeders for one to two weeks. This temporary removal of the guaranteed food source encourages the hawk to find a new hunting territory. The smaller birds will quickly return when the feeders are put back up, maintaining a balanced backyard ecosystem.