Parrot near tradegy

[Abbey]

I don't know how I can explain what happened today with my dumb arse bird Blackjack.

I have a patio that is 2 stories up that holds a large bird cage. I switch the 3 parrots in and out in an effort to get them used to the temperature change. So it was Abbey's turn. I hear this loud screach. Now, that can mean I'm really having fun, or danger. I go to check...she's fine.

A few minutes later I hear a sustained LOUD screach. I walk out to the patio and see the most massive hawk I've EVER seen sitting on top of her cage. I'm not kidding...his talons were as long as my fingers. He was a good 2 feet long. I'm screaming, trying to shoo him away, but he just sat there waiting for lunch. This guy didn't even flinch. I'm less than a foot away from him. It gets worse.

husband hears me screaming. He runs out the backdoor watching me trying to shoo this hawk away and what happens? Stupid Blackjack flies out the door. That hawk was on him in an instant. I sat and screamed as I watched Blackjack try to fly away and the hawk inches from his tail.

husband dives off the porch and runs after BJ. He's flying in the air with a hawk on his tail. Two doors down then round the curve so I couldn't see what was happening. About a minute later husband walks around with BJ. I nearly fell to the ground. I never thought that bird would survive. That hawk was a true killer.

Then, the hawk flew back and sat in our tree for a good hour afterwards. I have photos of him...beautiful, but very scary. I'll post it as soon as I find a floppy drive!

Abbey

 

[gcvmom]

OMG! I am SO glad BJ is safe!!! How terrifying! Guess you'll be keeping that cage door closed when they're outside!

I'm always worried about Herbert for the same reasons. I can't bear to lock her up all day, so I just pray and hope she stays under cover if she spots a hawk (she learned about them last month the hard way). Our other worry is coyotes. They are out now -- it's mating season. I saw one at the end of my street today. And we don't have a fence around our yard. I should probably put her in the coop when I'm not going to be home, huh?

 

[Hound dog]

Thank goodness husband was able to retreive BJ and the hawk didn't get him Sounds like he was one hungry and determined bird. Do you think he'd be able to get at the birds thru the cage and hurt them?

SCARY!!!

gvc- I'd coop Herbert when no one is home. I don't think she could out run a coyote.

 

[TerryJ2]

Holy cow, what a disaster!
I'd keep those birds locked up. Too scary for me.
We have hawks all over. Mostly, they go for bunnies and smaller birds. Every now and then, I hear a "thump" against the LR picture window and see a hawk swoop down under the bushes to retrieve a smaller bird that has knocked itself out, trying to avoid the hawk.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Gracious what a scare that must have been. Glad it turned out ok. But my heart would have been going a thousand miles an hour. I can't imagine what your bird must have been thinking.

beth

 

[Marcie Mac]

How scarey Abbey.. We have hawks in the neighborhood, and one swooped down to get the neighbors bunny - it actually started to fly away with the cage.

Can't you just let the birds get used to the weather on the inside looking out the glass doors..

Tillie got ahold of Little Bit right after he was born (SO had brought him home from the office because he needed to be hand fed every hour). She was running around with him in her mouth, followed by me screaming at the top of my lungs and scaring the bejesus out of everyone in the house who were at the time sound asleep. She finally dropped him and he was ok but it almost gave me a stroke..

Probably now all of your local hawks are gonna be hanging around your house to see if they can pick up lunch

Marcie

 

[Abbey]

Marcie that is my fear. It's now a marked area.

I grew up with hawks, wolves, etc., but I have never in my life seen one so large. At first I thought it was an eagle. Honestly, it was quite beautiful, but there wasn't one bone in that body that showed fear.

So, the cage has been pulled into the house and no more outdoor time for my birdies. I don't think he could ever break into the cage as it's quite heavy steel, but one never knows. Plus, it terrified Abbey. This is a bird that will play with our neighbor's huge lab but she rightfully sensed danger.

Abbey

 

[Wiped Out]

I'm so glad Blackjack is safe. How terrifying!

 

[Marguerite]

We do have hawks and eagles in our area, but the biggest predator problem for our caged birds is an Aussie native, the butcher bird. It's actually smaller than you would think. I grew up with my mother warning me about leaving my budgie cage or the canary cage outside unsupervised, because of the danger of butcher birds - they will reach through the wire with their very sharp, long beak. I was surprised when I first saw one - it's smaller than a magpie, but much more dangerous to small creatures.

Something we've done that you could consider - is your cage heavy enough to resist being carried off? In which case, cover the whole cage with chicken wire, the finer stuff with small cells in the mesh. We did that with one of our budgie cages, so we could put it outside and have it safe from butcher birds. They could get their beak into the cage, but not open it wide enough to do any damage.

However - because just being outside around so many of our wild birds was stressing them, we no longer take our budgies outside. Also the wild birds can carry diseases which our birds could catch.

A close call, I don't blame you being upset and panicked by it.

Marg

 

[house of cards]

How frightening, glad BJ and Abbey are ok. I love hawks but I might change my mind if that happened to my pets. Your birds are so smart, I wonder if they will want to go back outside, they are probably dreaming of returning to Las Vegas.

 

[Lothlorien]

We have about 6 or 7 hawks where I live. I have to watch my little dog out there.

Glad your birds are okay. I've witnessed our hawks snap ravens out of the trees. They are powerful birds.

 

[Star*]

I'm glad all your kids are okay - and KUDOS to black jack - it's not just an average bird that can outmaneuver a hawk - WOW.

......Or a husband for that matter. How fast CAN he run?

But gotta give "ops" to the Hawk - he hunted, found, and went for an easy meal. Didn't plan on BJ being such a fighter.....WOW

I had a very VERY brief stint working with Raptors - and I'm always amazed by anything they do - they are fascinating creatures!

First GCV mom and her Chicken Hawk and now you -

It's a Hawky month!

 

[DammitJanet]

Well...I dont like hawks...sorry. They have done too much damage to us with the chickens. May not be the easy child thing to do but we kill them if we find them swooping down to attack our chickens.

Abbey...I know you dont like guns...get a BB pistol and keep it ready to fire at the hawk if it shows up. It wont kill it but it will send a very clear message that it isnt welcome around your place. I would say water gun but I dont think that would do it. I think you are going to have to inflinct some pain to make it stay away.