Raptor, Sydney

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KathyP
KathyP's picture
Raptor, Sydney

Hi all,
Sorry, still trying to organise loading a photo which should help, but anyway, A medium sized raptor attacked and killed one of my bantam hens yesterday. I didn't know the raptor was the culprit at the time, but this morning I found the raptor levering off the back flap of the chicken house and trying to get at them. I resecured the door and went back inside to find out what it was and as soons as I left, it came back and was trying to get into the chicken houses again.
So, my initial investigations suggested maybe a brown goshawk, but the photo I have looks pretty different.
It had large strong yellow feet with long black hooked claws. The legs were yellow and long with no feathers on them.
The underside had large brown and white barring with the brown bars being a dark reddy brown with a darker brown or black edge.
From the base of the head down onto the breast the feathers were thick and mottled brown and white rather than clearly barred.
Wings were dark brown with a lighter coloured edge to each feather.
Tail was long and just straight with a slightly rounded end.
The head was brown on top, but more grey and white under the beak and eyes. There were distinctive thick white stripes over the eyes (like eyebrows).
Eyes looked white (but not too sure) and the beak was black and slightly hooked.
I live in Sydney near bushland north of Hornsby, and it is really important I identify this bird so I can protect my chickens from it.
Thanks,
Kathy

al
al's picture

Hi Kathy,
I'd be very surprised if it wasn't a Brown Goshawk.
There are many young ones about this time of year, looking for new territories.
All I can suggest is you lock up your chickens for a couple of weeks & hope the hawk moves on.
I live out in the bush & I have my chicken run fully netted in to protect them not only from hawks but also from foxes.
Does your hawk look anything like this one?
Cheers,
Al

KathyP
KathyP's picture

Hi Al,
Yep it looks a lot like that, and by comparison with the one in the picture I am guessing my one is a juvenile.
We are so lucky to live on a block of land with a naturally fox proof, and easily cat-proofed backyard. Just the perfect place for a hungry hawk I suppose.
Anyway, thanks for the information and the picture. I searched for pictures of brown goshawks and couldn't find one that looked similar enough for me to be sure.
He is very beautiful and it is amazing to see such a big raptor up close, but it is very bad news for my chickens!
Kathy

al
al's picture

I'm glad to hear you are still amazed by the hawk, even though it took one of your bantams.
But I must warn you, bantams are such easy prey, that the hawk will come back each day until the last one is gone.
So it would be best to make their enclosure hawk- proof as well.
Please keep trying to upload your photo, it would be good to see it.

birdie
birdie's picture

Oh my goodness Al..... would he really? If it was closed in would that mean that the bantams would get maybe shock and die or something? Love that pic with the bunny, and I would love to see Kathy's photo too.
Just out of interest , I heard an article of news on the radio about a video of eagles in Russia or somewhere attacking Wolves , must google that one!!!

Sunshine Coast Queensland

abeleski
abeleski's picture

You got my interest about the eagles attacking wolves birdie. Just found it hard to believe. Well I believe it now. Here is an article that talks about it.

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/12/using_eagles_to_kill_wolves.php

Following are videos.
{WARNING} They contain graphic material that some people may find disturbing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re644qgnCtw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XafAdkZIYKA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsXtDKdU0Q&feature=related

I was born to live and I live to die.

birdie
birdie's picture

OMG I am almost sorry I brought that up! What amazing footage ...not for the faint hearted and the wolf lovers though I guess. Traditions that have been carried out for 1000 years may be hard for us to understand in the context of our society. It would be interesting to know the conservation status of both the wolves and the Golden Eagles seeing as things have changed a bit since Marco Polo's time. ( read the article)

Sorry for the hijack KathyP

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

OMG I am almost sorry I brought that up! What amazing footage ...not for the faint hearted and the wolf lovers though I guess. Traditions that have been carried out for 1000 years may be hard for us to understand in the context of our society. It would be interesting to know the conservation status of both the wolves and the Golden Eagles seeing as things have changed a bit since Marco Polo's time. ( read the article)

Sorry for the hijack KathyP

Sunshine Coast Queensland

KathyP
KathyP's picture

No worries. The goshawk is scaring the chickens but they are not likely to die of shock while they are locked up in the house and it can't get to them. So far no sign of him this morning so I am hoping they are too much trouble to get to now and he will move on. Until we are sure we are putting up nets and only letting the chickens free range while supervised.
Still, you should have seen it trying to tear the back door off the coop. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been watching.
Sorry about the photo. Should have it sorted out by tonight. I have posted it on the backyard poultry forum if you search the gallery for KathyP you should be able to find it (they have photo hosting so it was easy, here I am still trying to find somewhere to put my photo so I can link to it successfully).
Kathy

birdie
birdie's picture

Wow Kathy this took a bit of finding but I'll give it a go for you

It may be locked up as I needed to register so it may not show.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

al
al's picture

birdie,
Bantams are pretty tough birds.
When netted in, they might get scared & run for cover but, as Kathy says, they won't die of shock like smaller birds in aviaries or cages.
Even so, hawks can be pretty determined to get what they want when hungry.
I have heard of a lady having her pet cockatiel snatched off her shoulder while walking in her backyard.
al

birdie
birdie's picture

Well, I can understand that Al, a good mobile perch and an unsuspecting prey would be just too hard to resist!! I bet the lady was devastated though! As for Bantams, I had friends in Tahiti that had ione that was better than any guard dog when I visited there :)

Sunshine Coast Queensland

KathyP
KathyP's picture

Hi (David here for Kathy)

Here is the photo of the raptor on out back fence about 2 meters from the chickens.

Full image can be seen at
https://picasaweb.google.com/113663294902150546659/Shared#5584628559460623602

al
al's picture

Thank you David...1st year female brown goshawk.
Left eye shows the nictitating membrane(inner eyelid).
al

birdie
birdie's picture

Al did you see this post? Is that the same thing with the eyelid? Can they do it separately then in each eye?
http://birdsinbackyards.net/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=BC3FB3DC-B8CD-12B7-96375CE16E2C28BB

Sunshine Coast Queensland

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