Pinwheel
138 posts
Mar 04, 2010
6:50 AM
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http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse.aspx?shape=36,10
this is a nice site to learn all about IDing hawks and information about them. Listening to the different calls on the common hawks is helpful to identify because the sharp shinned and cooper, and broad winged hark are sometimes hard to tell apart. But there sounds are different. I confirmed the loud hawks behind me as red shoulders based on the call. And they are always yelling. SO i guess that keeps coopers out my back yard. Maybe ill try and fly. Any thoughts or expierence with having bigger hawks nesting and not bothering the birds
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
3582 posts
Mar 04, 2010
7:18 AM
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Pinwheel I don't know about the cooper I only have problem with the Falcon.I have 4 big red tails that surround the skys above at times and screaming loud like I'm here the big bad Hawk is here..so one day my birds were out and they were above but they are too slow to catch my birds so I don't worry about that.it just messes up their flying pattern cause they constantly looking over their shoulders.anyway the Falcon came and did his job not caring about those Hawks above they were like scream all you want I'm hungry. now someone can tell you about the cooper if the hawk kept them away.
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Ralph.
Pigeons are not our whole life, but they damn sure make our lives whole!" ~
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Pinwheel
139 posts
Mar 04, 2010
8:35 AM
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Well, I think I have an answer for my own problem. I put the birds out in the screen to get a bath. I looked out a bit later to see a smaller hawk fly up into the tree. Noticed the birds were back inside not enjoying the nice weather. There was also a red shoulder sitting in another tree in the yard. So, my impression is the cooper landed in a tree opposite the red shoulder and didnt care. My little community is perfect for birding, Theres soo many birds (songs, hawks,) its incredible. BUt I will stick to portable flying, I just am limited to the time I can go out and get it done. Oh well.
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
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wannaroll
144 posts
Mar 04, 2010
8:38 AM
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Here is another site to check out. I think everyone in our hobby should study up on BOP's.
http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/hawks/hawkmain.html
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Dave - Hesperia, CA.
(San Bernardino Mountain Spinners)
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Squabby*32
199 posts
Mar 04, 2010
11:10 PM
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Thanks for the websites fellas. I am posting these facts about a few BOP that we should be able to identify as they come and go so fast sometimes. FALCON INFO
PERENGRINE
The scientific name comes from the Latin words falco, meaning hook-shaped (falcate) and may refer to the beak or claws, and peregrinus, meaning to wander. Peregrines have also been called Duck Hawk, Great-footed Hawk, and Wandering Falcon. The Peregrine Falcon has a body length of 15 - 20 inches, a 3 1/2 foot wingspan, and weighs 1 1/4 - 2 3/4 pounds
The male bird is referred to as a tiercel and the female as a falcon.
The Red-tailed Hawk has a body length of 17 -22 inches, a wingspan of 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 feet,and weighs 1 1/2 - 3 1/4 pounds. The scientific name comes from the Latin word buteo, meaning a kind of falcon or hawk, and the Latinized name for Jamaica, West Indies, where the first specimen was collected for study. The common name stems from the fact that most adult Red-tailed Hawks have a brick-red colored tail. This hawk has been called Buzzard, Buzzard Hawk, Hen Hawk, Mouse Hawk, and Red Hawk.
The Cooper’s Hawk has a body length of 15 - 19 inches, a wingspan of 2 1/4 - 3 1/4 feet, and weighs 8 - 21 ounces. The female is larger and her weight range does not overlap with the male bird. The scientific name comes from the Latin word accipere, meaning to take or seize and refers to a hawk or bird of prey, and from the Latinized name of the American zoologist William Cooper, for which the bird was named. The Cooper’s Hawk has also been called Chicken Hawk, Big Blue Darter, Hen Hawk, and Swift Hawk.
The Cooper’s Hawk can eat an amount of food equivalent to 12% of the bird’s body weight in one day. This is similar to a 120-pound person eating almost 14 pounds of food or 24 pounds of food if you weigh 200 pounds.
In the fall, the female Cooper’s Hawk migrates south before the male, but in the spring the male’s migration north precedes the female’s migration.
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DJJeffman Spinners
ATAPWGIYAHTLY
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wannaroll
145 posts
Mar 05, 2010
11:18 AM
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We have Prarie Falcons. The difference between them and perigrines is that Praries have dark armpits and extends onto their wings. They will also chase your birds to the ground like a Cooper sometimes.
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Dave - Hesperia, CA.
(San Bernardino Mountain Spinners)
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Pinwheel
143 posts
Mar 05, 2010
1:04 PM
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Just reading some chicken forums about hawk deterrents. They use reflective items such as Cds suspended from string in trees near the coop, or angle mirrors around the coop into the air. I would suppose that a camflouge netting would be useful for covering your pens to keep curious hawks away. Got that idea from a story of a army base that put up nets over the facility to make it look like a residential area from the sky. I was also wondering if anyone has tried attaching items to your birds that may deter a hawk from pursuing it. I have always though about putting something reflective(mirror or saftey reflective tape) on the birds back so when a hawk pursues through the trees at least, most of the bird would reflect the trees back at the hawk, rendering it impossible to see???? any thoughts. or in the case of a falcon that is over the birds, if half of the main part of the bird reflects sky, they are essentially invisible. probably a silly idea as the width of their back is so small. who knows.
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
Last Edited by on Mar 05, 2010 1:58 PM
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lew3015
95 posts
Mar 05, 2010
2:45 PM
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Pinwheel I just read your post, and I think that you have one heck of an Idea, of sticking some mirror tape on the birds back and wings, If you could figure out how to keep it on the pigeons for a long term, and not interfering with the birds flight, or when it was in the kit box. I do believe you could make a small fortune selling the tape, a specially if it worked.
Keep us posted, I'll be the first to buy into it.
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Lew
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Pinwheel
145 posts
Mar 05, 2010
3:11 PM
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Yeah I have some time for the next week to tinker if I want. im thinking base of tail, back, chest, i dont see anything very feasible for the wings that wouldnt take away from flight. ill dream on it. Ive got some Ideas. who knows
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
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lew3015
96 posts
Mar 05, 2010
3:14 PM
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Here's an idea, let me know what you think. Need someone to invent a leg band whistle, that can go on a roller just like regular leg bands. So as when the roller is flying a whistling noise will sound keeping the BOP away.
Was Looking at leg bands for homers, they have bands for the clocks and thought hey, just maybe.
One problem I can see with the whistle, is that it may scare the roller to the point it fly's away and won't land. What are your thoughts.
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Lew
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Pinwheel
146 posts
Mar 05, 2010
3:38 PM
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Im sure there are some electronic devices that you could incorporate. What would be interesting is having a device tiny enough that can be attached to the bird and operated remotely from the ground. Not sure if the speed of a roller would be enough to emit a sound shrill enough through a simple whistle to "deter" anything. I do like the idea.
Im looking at flightsuits(harness they can fly with) for birds, they sell them for pigeon size and width. Thats a place to start. And thinking of adding reflective things to that. its allows flight and has enough area to possible stick things to it. And you could possibly tuck things under it. Good brainstorming. Ill probably use the indiand fans as models for anything I make, since they are docile enough, although portly.
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
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johnjay
8 posts
Mar 05, 2010
3:52 PM
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the harness should spit out smoke on command like a fighter plane (just kidding) I like the ideas.
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Pinwheel
147 posts
Mar 05, 2010
4:10 PM
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funny you should say that, but I thought that would be an awesome display when a pigeon is trying to out run a hawk and leaves a smoke trail behind it to disappear into nothingness like a ninja. It would require quite the gadgetry!
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
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Pinwheel
148 posts
Mar 05, 2010
5:18 PM
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BTW. I am not joking around. lol Made from underwear and velcro. Just the base model. Ill start working with materials once I get the size right and shapes right.
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
Last Edited by on Mar 05, 2010 5:20 PM
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
3583 posts
Mar 05, 2010
5:33 PM
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I know Booker T use to fly his birds with color vest on them to identify which bird is doing what.look like jackets ..maybe if he see this post he can post a pic..thats a kool lil under wear vest if that don't scare them away nothing will.. lol..
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Ralph.
Pigeons are not our whole life, but they damn sure make our lives whole!" ~
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johnjay
9 posts
Mar 05, 2010
5:40 PM
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How do they perform with the harness on ?
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Pinwheel
149 posts
Mar 05, 2010
5:43 PM
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clearly I am a bored.... Johnjay... I have no clue. Upfront this is just for pigeon in general. Mods I guess will come later if I can ever get it on the bird with the material I want and proper fitting. but for parrots, the vest allow them to fly just fine is my understanding. Im probably gonna suck it up and maybe buy one and go from there. Only becuase im not real artys/craftsy/handy at all. I have imagination but no means to make it come to fruition.
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Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
Last Edited by on Mar 05, 2010 5:50 PM
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