Hawks are majestic animals, but you need to keep them away from your backyard, especially if you have small pets such as a dog or cat outside. It is scary to see a hawk roaming around your yard since they can effortlessly snatch prey right from your yard without warning.
If you have chickens or other domestic animals, it is also a cause for concern when you spot hawks flying around. Here are some ideal and humane techniques that can help scare and keep the hawks away from your backyard and away from your pets.
The 10 Ways to Keep Hawks Away
1. Install an Owl Decoy or Scarecrow
Owls and eagles hunt hawks, so setting up an owl decoy in your yard will deter the hawk from swooping in down low.
If you choose to use these products, you must keep moving the owl decoy frequently so that the hawks don’t realize it is a trap. Hawks are intelligent species, so they are likely to find out it is a decoy and end up not being scared away from it if you place it on one spot.
However, a hawk will want to avoid anything it perceives as a predator, including an owl. So, setting up a fake one makes the hawk think the predator is there searching for food.
This technique is great since it is cheap to buy a decoy, and it can also help scare away other animals from your yard.
2. Scare the Hawks with Noise Deterrents
Definite sounds at specific frequencies can help in detracting these predators. However, for the noise to be effective, it must be turbulent, loud, and annoying to birds but not to people and pets.
You can use an ultrasonic bird repellent that features multiple customizable frequencies, sensitivity, and volume settings. If you find that the sound is too constant or very annoying for your household, you can adjust it accordingly.
In addition, the device comes with blinking lights that can act as an additional deterrent at night.
Installing an anti-hawk noise deterrent is relatively easy. You only need to plug it in and place it somewhere you don’t want to see these birds.
Position it near a poultry or rabbit cage to scare off hawks and owls. Or else, you can hang it on your backyard wall to deter them from swooping in.
Using sound is one of the best hawk repellents for those with environmental impact consciousness. Ultrasonic bird repellents are perfect because they don’t contain toxic residues, have no adverse ecological effects, and have no chance of injuring the hawks.
3. Eliminate Hawk Vantage Points
Hawks like to survey their prey from a standpoint as they wait for the target to come out in the open and ready for the taking.
Having a perfect place to perch on is vital to these predators. So, the best way to keep away hawks from your backyard is to eliminate these vantage points.
These birds like a clear view where they can hunt their prey, so watch for dead branches with no leaf cover, tall trees standing alone, and utility poles. Cut down trees standing alone or leafless branches. To detract these birds from perching on utility poles, cap them with metal cones or anti-bird prongs.
4. Keep a Rooster
If you want a bird that can keep away hawks from your chickens, a rooster is your answer. These big birds have the size and built-in weapons to fight hawks. Their sharp claws, beaks, and wild desire to protect hens make them an excellent hawk deterrent for chickens.
A rooster can be a great bodyguard for your chickens. However, before you get one, be sure to check with your local codes. Some regions require paperwork for you to keep a rooster at your home.
If you can get one, keep it near your flock to keep hawks away from chickens. Let it roam around while hens peck on the ground. However, put up some measures to prevent your rooster from becoming aggressive towards your hens.
5. Get a Watchdog
A watchdog can help you keep away a hawk that is killing your chickens. Just a sight of a dog roaming around your home is enough to discourage hawks from even trying.
However, before anything else, keep in mind that getting a dog, especially a larger one, to keep off hawks is a considerable responsibility. It is good to consider getting a dog to protect your flock if you are entirely ready to commit to pet ownership. A dog will require food, training, vet check-ups, and anything in between.
But if you are ready to take this responsibility, then you are in for a hawk-free home. Ideally, your dog should get along well with chickens and be large enough not to be carried off by a hawk.
6. Install Covers for Free-Range Chickens
If you do free-range, you need to establish shrubs or small trees where chickens can easily hide. The hawks will likely not be able to spot your chickens when shrubs or trees are blocking their view. Free-range chickens will hide under the trees or shrubs, and it acts as a natural shelter for your chickens.
7. Cover Your Bird Feeders
Nothing beats waking up to birds’ melodious songs in the morning. And to achieve this, you must install one or two bird feeders on your property.
Unfortunately, you might be unintentionally exposing your adorable songbirds to predators. Once a hawk realizes that domestic birds have a common hangout area, they will always be waiting in the wings to swoop in and carry off your adorable birds.
The best solution will be to remove the feeder, but maybe you don’t want to do that. Luckily, you can keep hawks away from your bird feeders by shielding them.
Keep in mind that hawks view their prey from above. They then swoop in and carry the defenseless bird or animal. If they can’t see what they are looking for, you can be sure your little creatures are safe.
To achieve this, place your bird feeder under an umbrella, a gazebo, a roof awning, or low-hanging tree branches.
Alternatively, you can get a caged bird feeder to keep your birds safe. The bars will keep hawks away from them as they eat. In addition, these keep your bird food away from bullies such as pigeons or grackles, or even squirrels.
8. Setup Roosting Spikes on Perching Spots
Eliminating all possible perching areas may leave your home looking barren or without shades. However, removing these predator stalking points is one of the best hawk deterrent techniques to use.
But rather than eliminating their perching points, you can look for a way to make it hard for hawks to hold on to. That way, you can discourage the perching behavior without removing the stalking area entirely.
The most effective way to do this is to set up roosting spikes any place you think these birds could be perching. Jutting rods make it a dangerous perching point for hawks.
Hawks hunt their prey for quite a while, so stability and comfort are essential in vantage areas. When you install roosting spikes, the ledge becomes unviable and gets rid of hawks.
9. Install Reflective Deterrents
Reflective deterrents are also an ideal and humane way to keep hawks away from your backyard. You can hang used CDs on trees to create a reflective deterrent or use some reflective tape. Or else, you can set up a mirror ball on a stick to scare the hawks away.
Setting up reflective surfaces is among the cheapest and safest hawk deterrent techniques. If you have many old CDs, you already have a perfect deterrent and don’t need to spend money to get rid of the hawks. Shiny reflective surfaces work by scaring the hawks and confusing them, thus keeping the birds away from your backyard without causing any harm to them.
10. Hire a Professional
If you have tried all the techniques given but still have hawks hanging around your backyard, you may need to look for wildlife control services. These professionals understand how to get rid of hawks that may be a nuisance to you. Be sure to find a reputable wildlife control firm that abides by state laws.
These birds may be irritating, but you don’t want to eradicate them from the local ecosystem. They help in controlling rodents and other pets and contribute to biodiversity.
It is for these reasons that most states’ laws protect hawks. Depending on where you live, there might be fines or jail terms if you treat these birds inhumanely.
Final Thoughts
We hope you’ve found some great methods to try for keeping hawks away. If all else fails, hiring a professional wildlife control firm may be a bit more expensive than DIY, but the skills and equipment they have will go a long way in ensuring that your home stays free from hawks. With their assistance, you can keep your chickens and other pets safe without causing harm to these beneficial members of the ecosystem.
- You may also be interested in: How To Keep Hawks Away From Chickens (8 Tips)
Featured Image Credit: Radovan Zierik, Pixabay