How to Attract Hawks to Your Yard (And Why It Might Be a Good Idea)

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Some people may be shocked to learn that attracting hawks to your yard can be a good thing. They are predators to many other animals, but they are the ultimate bird for avid bird watchers.

Attracting hawks to your yard is considered to be a rare achievement, and if you do the right things, you can draw them in without a lot of effort.

Why You Should Want Hawks in Your Yard

It can be distressing to see a hawk swoop down and capture a rabbit or a cardinal, but they are predators that help to balance the wildlife population. Although they make meals of some pretty and harmless animals, they also eat snakes, rats, gophers, and other wildlife that is a nuisance.

Without hawks, these animals would overrun a neighborhood, so it is important to have them to keep the balance.

If you are a bird watcher, the hawk is the ultimate bird to see. They have unique behaviors, and they are huge and powerful. Hawks are birds or prey, also called raptors, and it is a unique experience to see how they behave in the wild.

Types of Raptors

There are different types of raptors in different regions, and some are very unlikely ever to make an appearance in your yard. Eagles are rare, and vultures arrive under specific circumstances, such as when there is a dead animal there.

Different types will show up if their feeding needs are met. Smaller raptors are more common, and you can often find them in suburban areas. Here are some of the more common raptors that you may find in your backyard.

• Eastern Screech Owl
• Barred Owl
• Great Horned Owl
• Western Screech Owl
• Broad Winged Hawk
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Red-Shouldered Hawk
• Red Tailed Hawk
• Sharp Shinned Hawk

How to Attract Hawks to Your Yard

The first step to attracting any kind of bird to your yard is to make sure that you have what the bird needs to survive. This includes food, water, shelter, and a place to nest. Hawks have specific needs, so you can take steps to make sure that you have what they need for survival.

All raptors are carnivores, so they eat other animals, but different raptors have different diets. The hawks that are easiest to attract to your yard feed on common birds such as sparrows, doves, thrushes, and finches. To attract the hawks, you will need to have feeders and attract the birds that they feed on.

Another common food source is rodents and insects. You can attract this kind of wildlife with food as well. However, you should not use pet rodents; you should always allow the hawks to feed on actual wildlife.

Hawks often have less of a need for water because they drink the blood of their prey. They will visit bird baths to bathe or cool down in the hotter months, and if you want to attract hawks, you should make sure that your bird baths are a little bit bigger than ones you would have for ordinary birds.

Bird baths that are made from concrete work well, especially those built on the ground of those that have a deeper bowl. In addition, bird baths will draw smaller birds that are food for the hawks, and this will help to draw the hawks.

Hawks like to shelter in big trees on large sturdy branches high up. They can scour the area for food, and they can rest after eating. They might perch on fences, deck railings, or even your roof, but a tree is ideal.

Finally, hawks use mature trees that are large for nesting. They prefer trees with wide, stable branches and a variety of nesting material. If you are trying to attract smaller raptors, you might be able to build a nesting box the right size for the bird and hang it high up in a tree.

Additional Tips for Attracting Hawks to Your Yard

It can be difficult to attract hawks to your yard, but if they are in the area, you can take measures to get them to notice your yard and come for a visit. First of all, you should keep your yard quiet.

Hawks do not like busy environments. They have a lot of patience, and they often sit and keep an eye out for their prey. If you have a lot of activity in your yard, a hawk will move to another location that is quieter.

You should also keep your yard looking more natural and less sculpted. Hawks like to have foliage to conceal them as they wait to go after prey or as they rest after eating. If you keep your yard natural, the hawks will prefer it.

You should always make sure that your pets, including dogs, pet birds, cats, or other small animals are safe from hawks. The hawk doesn’t distinguish between wild animals and your pets, and it may swoop down and take your pet for its food, although it is not very common. Do not leave smaller animals outside unattended or they may become food for the hawks you attract.

You should also try not to exterminate the wildlife that hawks feed on. If you want to attract the hawks, you need to have the food source available for them.

If you have an exterminator come and eliminate rats and other wildlife, you will have less food for the hawk. In addition, exterminators often use poison to kill these animals, and if the hawk picks up a dying rat, it will also get sick.

When a hawk comes to visit, many of your backyard birds will leave. If any are left behind, the hawk will probably feed on it. You shouldn’t make noises or motions to get rid of the hawk after it eats because it needs to rest and allow the meal to digest.

If you make a commotion after it eats, it is unlikely to return again.

Final Thoughts

Raptors are very different from your everyday backyard birds, and it can be fascinating to watch them. If you are a bird enthusiast, this is a unique experience that you will want to have.

You need to take steps to create an environment that encourages these birds to come for a visit, and make sure that you protect your pets as well.

When you are trying to attract these birds of prey, you need to make sure that your yard resembles nature. You don’t want to overdo the pruning; hawks will prefer to have a more natural space to perch.

Hawks will not come to a busy active yard because they prefer a tranquil environment. You should make sure that you have food, shelter, and water for them, and they might stay longer if you have a place where they can nest.

Hawks and other raptors provide a completely new angle on the bird-watching experience, and many enthusiasts are fascinated by watching them in action. It is definitely something you should experience for yourself, and you will learn about an entirely different kind of bird.

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