Hawks are magnificent raptors, but their presence near homes or small farms can challenge those keeping small pets or poultry. Deterrence aims to encourage the hawk to hunt elsewhere by making the current area less appealing, rather than causing the bird harm. Using safe, legal, and non-lethal methods protects vulnerable animals while respecting the hawk’s natural behaviors. Effective strategies involve removing environmental attractions, actively scaring the raptor, and installing physical barriers to block access to prey.
Understanding Legal Protections
Before attempting hawk deterrence, understand the legal protections afforded to these birds. In the United States, nearly all native birds of prey, including common species like Red-tailed and Cooper’s Hawks, are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918. This law makes it illegal to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, or sell these birds without a specific permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The MBTA also protects the hawk’s parts, eggs, and nests, making it unlawful to destroy an active nest even on private property. Violations can result in substantial fines and imprisonment, setting a strict boundary for deterrence efforts. Consequently, all methods used must be strictly non-lethal and humane, focusing only on discouraging the hawk from entering the space.
Eliminating Environmental Attractions
Preventative measures that remove the hawk’s motivation for visiting an area are the most reliable long-term solution. Hawks are drawn to an area for two primary reasons: a steady food source and suitable perching spots for surveying prey. Removing or securing these elements makes the location less energy-efficient for the raptor’s hunting strategy.
Easily accessible small prey, such as rodents or smaller birds, acts as a primary draw for hawks. Securing all small livestock feed and covering garbage bins helps manage rodent populations, reducing a major food source. Bird feeders, especially those that scatter seed onto the ground, attract smaller birds which then become targets. Use caged feeders that only allow small birds access, or temporarily remove feeders.
Hawks rely on high vantage points to spot and launch attacks on prey below. Trimming tall, isolated dead tree branches or securing exposed antenna and roof edges eliminates these preferred perching and hunting survey spots. Planting dense shrubs or providing structures like shade canopies creates immediate, low-level cover for vulnerable animals. This disrupts the hawk’s clear line of sight and fast-swooping attack pattern.
Implementing Active Deterrence Methods
Active deterrence involves using visual, auditory, or movement-based stimuli to scare the hawk away once it is in the area. Reflective and shiny objects are highly effective visual deterrents because sudden, unpredictable flashes of light disorient the hawk’s sharp vision. Holographic tape, old CDs, or aluminum pie tins hung from trees and fences create movement and light that makes the area visually confusing and unappealing.
Movement-activated devices, such as motion-sensor sprinklers, provide a sudden, unexpected sensation that startles the bird and makes the area feel unsafe. Decoys, such as plastic owls or inflatable tube men, mimic a perceived threat, but their effectiveness is limited if they remain static. To prevent habituation, decoys must be moved daily to a new location. This ensures the hawk does not learn that the perceived threat is fake.
Auditory methods, like noise machines that broadcast distress calls or predator sounds, can be used, often with visual deterrents. However, these can be disruptive to neighbors and local wildlife. Hawks may also grow accustomed to the sounds if the threats are not perceived as real. For active hazing, simply yelling or making yourself large every time a hawk approaches discourages it from becoming comfortable hunting near humans.
Installing Physical Protection Measures
The most reliable way to protect small pets and poultry is by installing physical barriers that block the hawk’s ability to attack. Hawks primarily hunt from above, so securing the overhead space of vulnerable areas is the most certain defense. Installing overhead netting or mesh wire over chicken runs, coops, or small pet enclosures creates a physical shield that prevents a raptor from diving down.
The netting should be highly visible to the hawk; an orange color or a slightly heavier gauge mesh is seen more easily, deterring the bird from flying into it. Providing secure, covered shelters, such as coops, dense brush piles, or sheds, allows small animals a place to quickly retreat when a hawk is spotted. A vigilant livestock guardian animal, such as a dog or a rooster, acts as a living barrier and alarm system, further discouraging the hawk from attempting an attack.