It is completely normal for hawks to prey on other birds. Hawks are carnivorous raptors that hunt and consume various types of prey, including small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and other birds. The diet of hawks can vary somewhat between species, but most hawks regularly eat other birds as part of their natural feeding habits.
What types of birds do hawks eat?
Hawks prey on a wide variety of bird species, including songbirds, pigeons, doves, quail, grouse, chickens, ducks, gulls, and more. Almost any bird that is small enough to be overpowered by a hawk is potential prey. Some of the most common avian prey for hawks includes:
- Songbirds – Sparrows, finches, warblers, blackbirds, jays
- Pigeons and doves
- Quail and grouse
- Chickens
- Ducks and geese
- Gulls
- Crows and ravens
The size and type of birds hunted depends on the species of hawk. Larger hawks like red-tailed hawks and great horned owls can prey on robust game birds like ducks, geese, pheasants, and grouse. Smaller hawks like sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper’s hawks more regularly prey on smaller songbirds.
Why do hawks eat other birds?
Hawks are carnivores adapted for hunting, so they consume other birds for the same reason they prey on mammals and reptiles – because birds are a key food source and provide calories, protein, fat, and nutrients needed for the hawk’s survival. Specific reasons hawks eat other birds include:
- Birds are abundant and make up a large part of the available prey base for many hawks.
- Songbirds, pigeons, quail, and chickens tend to be easy for hawks to catch compared to faster mammals.
- Birds provide an excellent source of protein in the hawk’s diet.
- Fatty birds like ducks and geese are a rich source of calories for hawks.
- Eating other birds helps hawks fulfill their role as predators in the ecosystem.
In short, hawks eat birds because they are well adapted for hunting avian prey and because birds make up a significant portion of the prey species available in most ecosystems.
Different hunting strategies for different birds
Hawks employ various hunting techniques to capture different types of bird prey:
- Perch hunting – Hawks will perch and wait to ambush unsuspecting songbirds, doves, and pigeons.
- Quick dives – Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks chase songbirds in quick dives through dense vegetation.
- Stealth approach – To avoid alarming prey, large hawks like red-tailed hawks will stealthily fly from tree to tree to get in close rather than soaring high overhead.
- Coursing – Northern harriers cruise low over open areas while listening for birds hidden in the grass.
- Ground attacks – Some hawks like red-tailed hawks will snatch ducks, geese, and chickens straight from the ground.
Different hunting strategies allow hawks to take advantage of the habitats and escape abilities of their desired avian prey. A bird that relies on hiding in thick brush requires a different approach than a bird that can be ambushed from a high perch or simply snatched from the ground.
Do hawks focus mainly on other birds for food?
While birds make up a good portion of their diet, hawks are opportunistic predators and do not focus exclusively on avian prey. Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates are also common sources of nutrition for most hawks. Consider the diet of some common hawks:
- Red-tailed hawk – Mammals make up over 75% of the red-tail’s diet. Common prey includes voles, mice, rabbits, squirrels, rats, shrews, and chipmunks.
- Cooper’s hawk – About 85% of the Cooper hawk’s diet is other birds including doves, woodpeckers, jays, blackbirds, and various songbirds.
- Red-shouldered hawk – Amphibians and reptiles comprise over 50% of the red-shouldered hawk’s prey. It eats snakes, lizards, toads, frogs, salamanders.
- Rough-legged hawk – Voles comprise about 90% of this hawk’s food. It supplements its diet with some small birds and snakes.
As these examples illustrate, while birds are an important prey item, most hawks are opportunistic predators that will eat whatever prey is most abundant and easy to catch in their habitat.
Do hawks play an important role in local ecosystems?
Hawks help maintain balance in their native ecosystems by preying on birds and small animals. Specific ecological benefits provided by hawks include:
- Preying on abundant species helps regulate overpopulated prey populations.
- Predation provides selection pressure that keeps prey species healthy and adapted for survival.
- Hawks help limit rodent and pest bird populations in both urban and wildland habitats.
- Scavenging on carrion by hawks helps keep the environment clean.
- As top predators, hawks indicate the overall health of local food chains.
Hawks carved distinct niches over millions of years by evolving to prey on specific types of animals in their environments. Removing hawks can allow prey species like rodents and pigeons to increase unchecked, potentially resulting in ecosystem imbalance. Maintaining hawk populations helps preserve their role in culling prey numbers and contributes to ecosystem stability.
Are hawks specifically adapted to preying on birds?
Hawks possess a number of adaptations that make them adept bird hunters, including:
- Talons – Large, sharp talons allow hawks to swiftly grab and kill prey.
- Beaks – Curved beaks are designed for tearing flesh from prey.
- Vision – Hawks have extremely sharp eyesight to spot avian prey while flying at high altitudes.
- Speed – Short, broad wings provide agility and allow hawks to accelerate quickly in pursuit of birds.
- Stealth – Light, noise-dampening feathers allow hawks to sneak up on prey undetected.
While they use these adaptations to hunt all types of prey, they make hawks especially effective at locating, pursuing, and snatching birds in flight. Hawks are fine-tuned to take advantage of the unique locomotion and escape abilities of avian prey.
Do hawks sometimes hunt songbirds at bird feeders?
It is common for hawks to pick off small birds congregating at backyard bird feeders. Gathering lots of birds to a small area serves as a natural attraction to alert hawks. Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks in particular are notorious for stealthily ambushing unsuspecting songbirds attracted to feeders with ample seed or suet.
There are a few ways you can reduce hawk visits to your feeders:
- Place feeders in more enclosed areas surrounded by dense vegetation to obscure hawks’ lines of sight.
- Avoid feeding large concentrations of birds. Use multiple smaller feeders spread apart instead of one large feeder.
- Temporarily take feeders down if a hawk starts regularly showing up.
- Choose specially designed “hawk-proof” feeders with enclosed chambers.
While startling when they show up, hawks at feeders are just following natural predatory behaviors. Their presence can indicate a healthy local ecosystem with ample prey. Maintaining diverse plant cover for birds to take refuge will allow songbirds and hawks to naturally coexist.
What can I do if I spot a hawk hunting birds in my yard?
Seeing a hawk swoop through your yard in pursuit of prey can be an alarming sight, but they are just carrying out natural behaviors important to the local food chain. Some steps you can take include:
- Accept their presence – Remind yourself they are playing a vital ecological role.
- Never attempt to disturb or interact with a hunting hawk.
- Modify landscaping to provide more shelter for prey – Plant dense bushes, bird feeder covers.
- Reduce food sources like bird feeders to avoid attracting hawks during nesting season when feeding demands peak.
- Appreciate being able to witness nature at work near your home!
While shocking, hawks capturing backyard birds will rarely significantly impact overall songbird numbers. Providing adequate shelter creates a balanced ecosystem for both predator and prey to coexist.
How can I tell different hawks apart?
With practice, the silhouette and flight patterns of common hawks can help you identify them. Look for distinguishing field marks like:
| Species | Field Marks |
|---|---|
| Red-tailed hawk | Broad, rounded wings; wide dark belly band; reddish tail |
| Cooper’s hawk | Long tail and wings relative to size; fast, agile flight; round head |
| Sharp-shinned hawk | Small, slender profile; skinny tail; round head; fast flight |
| Red-shouldered hawk | Long, broad banded tail; pale crescents on wings visible in flight |
| Broad-winged hawk | Short, wide wings; dark belly band; wide white-banded tail |
Comparing the hawk’s manner of flight, wing shape, proportions, tail pattern, and other markings can help you identify the most common hawk species found hunting in a given area.
How can I attract hawks to my yard?
You can make your yard more hawk-friendly with a bit of thoughtful landscaping. Ideas to attract hawks include:
- Install tall perches and snags – Hawks like high perches with open sight lines for spotting prey.
- Provide open grassy areas – Allows aerial hawks to watch for voles and mice.
- Let dead vegetation stand – Creates good habitat for small mammals and birds hawks prey on.
- Add a water feature – Hawks drink and bathe in bird baths and ponds.
- Plant native trees – Trees attract hawk prey like squirrels and provide cover.
- Reduce pesticide use – More insects equals more food for prey species.
By mimicking elements found in their natural habitat, your landscaping can provide ideal hunting conditions to draw hawks. Just be prepared for the predator-prey drama that may unfold in your yard!
Conclusion
Eating other birds is perfectly natural and expected hawk behavior. As carnivorous predators that evolved hunting avian prey, hawks play an important role in ecosystem balance by keeping songbird, pest bird, and game bird populations in check. While witnessing them swoop after backyard birds can be unsettling, their presence indicates a robust local food web. Providing adequate vegetative cover will allow prey to escape hawks and minimize disruptions in your yard. Appreciating the critical niche hawks fill as top predators can help you positively interpret their presence near your home.
