Are hawks really attracted to lighter colored birds?

[bigoledude]

Waaaay back in the day we were catching hawks for "falconry". We used baby ducks or baby chickens for bait. These hawks would spot the little birds from heights that were phenomenal. When we first started, I would tell my partner he was crazy when he would tell me the raptor had spotted the bait. He had these military binoculars that cost like eleventeen grillion dollars back then. The hawks would be nosebleed high, a mere speck in the stratosphere, when they would begin their attack. The final stoop was a heart-pounding spectacle! The chick never knew what him em. They would be turned inside out in the blink of an eye.

Now, are we supposing that the dark color is too difficult for them to see? From what I experienced, it is hard to believe that the dark bird is a problem for them to see. I'm wondering if they suspect it may be a buzzard or whatever. Maybe dark chickens don't actually fare any better than lighter chickens after all? I'm not so heavily invested that I couldn't switch to dark chickens. But we are LOADED with what I believe is Red Tailed hawks. Lately I also see many of these "Kites" with the large forked tail. Will they nail a chicken?

Have you actually experienced heavy predation from hawks on light colored chickens and been spared with dark ones? What about owls? Those suckers routinely catch mice scooting across a field AT NIGHT! And, we have at least 6 that hunt within 100 yards of my place! EVERY NIGHT.

Give us your honest take on this, please.

 

[dutchhollow]

My guess is that yes, against most backgrounds you will loose more white birds, just because they probably stand out more. But, I know they can and will see pheasants from a very good distance and take them with east, and they are perfectly camoflaged in very tall grass when it happens.
If someone kept track, and saw the attacks (knew it was a hawk) and had 50 percent white/50 percent dark birds, my guess is the higher loss percentage would go to whites, jmo

 

[lazyday]

I have had 2 attack one fatality both buff orpington no attack on RIR or banty barnevelder which I would of thought she would have been the one taken considering how small she is

 

[centrarchid]

I do not think color makes a difference when chickens are moving about in open. If chickens not moving like hen on nest, then color and pattern maybe bigtime important. Red-tails have a hard time seeing my game hens on nest even when apparently looking right at them. Rooster in area may help with deception because something that looks vary different in color and pattern is moving about potentially as a distraction. Also when rooster gives hawk call he moves about while hen with bitties freeze. Hen only moves if hawk continues approach but chicks still freeze. I think movement is more important most of time.

I do not suffer heavy losses to hawk predation. Two situations i associate with high hawk risks. During summer production season hawks (Coopers almost exclusively) are a concern with small juveniles not tended by adults or not with dog close by. I have lots of Coopers but adult games challenge them very well. During summer red-tails not an issue in part due to activities of local red-shouldered hawk breeding pair although during winter with snow on ground red-tails and even a ferruginous hawk will go after my free-range birds. I am way east of the ferruginous hawks typical range but same bird been here two year with heavy snow in a row. Games have not been lost for some time but red jungle fowl stags and a couple dominiques where taken. In all instances where a bird was lost, bird was caught in open away from cover. Games get into cover and actually fight back (roosters where molt is complete) from with in it. Dominiques are too slow getting to cover and do not go in far enough. Red Jungle Fowl stags hang out around pens away from protection and when pressed by hawk try to fly to another cover patch and when hawk is above jungles tend not to be fast enough to make next safe spot before hawk catches them. During winter my games do not even look up at female Coopers hawks chasing sparrows among them even though I know same hawks decimate neighbors hen only flocks just a couple miles away.


Owls, great-horned visit only at night and can be thwarted by simply having dog standing on ground below. They seem to knock / push tree roosting chickens to ground before grappling with talons. Barred owls do not appear to be a problem except possibly with small juveniles and they may actual try to grab such off roost and fly directly away. Neither species can fly from ground with a heavy load although great-horned can drag carcass up trunk of tree and flap like mad to extend downward flight in desired direction.

 

[zazouse]

It don't matter food is food to them, the rabbits and mice are not lite colored and they still get prayed on.
The hawks here don't eat the egrets or crains around here and some of them are white, and they are not near as fast as a frightened chicken.

The only chickens i have ever lost were buff and red and that was a migrating bird that dropped in for dinner but in the end it did not get any cause the dogs heard the ruckus from the other birds and ran the hawk off before it got to eat.

 

[centrarchid]

Some of the light colored wild birds are very capable of defending themselves with those big pointy bills on the end of a long fast neck. I have had experience with great blue herons and they do target eyes and they can peirce a 5 lb largemouth bass with bill. Smaller such shorebirds may not be as capable but it takes less to repell a hawk than required to repell me.

 

[Diana0136]

My guess is that yes, against most backgrounds you will loose more white birds, just because they probably stand out more. But, I know they can and will see pheasants from a very good distance and take them with east, and they are perfectly camoflaged in very tall grass when it happens.
If someone kept track, and saw the attacks (knew it was a hawk) and had 50 percent white/50 percent dark birds, my guess is the higher loss percentage would go to whites, jmo

 

[Diana0136]

Have you ever heard that one of those wiggly men like you see at car lots will keep hawks away. We lost our lavender americana hen to a hawk. I really don't want to free range anymore for this reason. We have a large run. They will only be out in yard if we are present.

 

[Penpal]

They hunt mice, which blend in pretty well. When I had black birds, the raptors had no problem finding them. I think they go more by movement than color.

 

[Erkaderka]

Waaaay back in the day we were catching hawks for "falconry". We used baby ducks or baby chickens for bait. These hawks would spot the little birds from heights that were phenomenal. When we first started, I would tell my partner he was crazy when he would tell me the raptor had spotted the bait. He had these military binoculars that cost like eleventeen grillion dollars back then. The hawks would be nosebleed high, a mere speck in the stratosphere, when they would begin their attack. The final stoop was a heart-pounding spectacle! The chick never knew what him em. They would be turned inside out in the blink of an eye.

Now, are we supposing that the dark color is too difficult for them to see? From what I experienced, it is hard to believe that the dark bird is a problem for them to see. I'm wondering if they suspect it may be a buzzard or whatever. Maybe dark chickens don't actually fare any better than lighter chickens after all? I'm not so heavily invested that I couldn't switch to dark chickens. But we are LOADED with what I believe is Red Tailed hawks. Lately I also see many of these "Kites" with the large forked tail. Will they nail a chicken?

Have you actually experienced heavy predation from hawks on light colored chickens and been spared with dark ones? What about owls? Those suckers routinely catch mice scooting across a field AT NIGHT! And, we have at least 6 that hunt within 100 yards of my place! EVERY NIGHT.

Give us your honest take on this, please.

So I'm still pretty new to chickens, have been keeping them since spring 2023, we live in central ny state and I tell you... I had no idea the amount of predators I have just in my back yard. Between goose hawks, red-tailed and even a freaking bald eagle! I've had to stop free ranging entirely. I did notice that I lost in these passed years mostly Partridge/brown feathered birds and blonde ones. All my welsummers, gone. Only have one Buff Orpington left. My poor Delawares(oldest and smartest pair in my flock) and my easter eggers(which are all mostly blonde headed with dark bodies) are incredibly skittish while they free ranging. They won't leave the pine trees unless it's to follow me in the yard, always an eye on the skies looking out.
But you know who doesn't bat an eye? Not a single care in the world? My black jersey giants. These ladies are about 15lbs each and have fought off a hawk once before but the welsummer was already dead.
For being known as gentle giants, they're not all that gentle. Voracious eaters and lay eggs the size of goose eggs, but if I were to go back to free ranging my chickens it'll probably be only if I have a whole flock of just black jersey giants. I really think hawks see them as turkey vultures or something and don't swoop at them. Or maybe the hawk that got its butt whooped told his buddies about them. So in my honest opinion there has to be something about the color of the chicken that catches the predators' attention.