Using a harness in an area with hawks

[GreatBlue320]

As some of you may know based on some of my other posts, I'm thinking about getting a new bird.

One of the activities I was hoping to do with the new bird is take it outside using a harness.

I live on 2 acres with wooded area between me and other homes. Yes, I have seen hawks in our woods (Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed) and have also witnessed these hawks making a winter meal of a few of the wild birdies that visit our feeders. I haven't seen them in the spring/summer/early fall months, but that doesn't mean they aren't lurking.

So my question is this - would it be safe to take my new bird outside with me on a harness?

I originally thought it would be fine as long as the bird was with me as I thought a hawk would be too frightened of me to make a move on my bird. However, someone was telling me recently that the hawks are not afraid of people and will attack a bird on a harness even it that bird is on a person's shoulder!

Have any of your heard similar stories? What are your thoughts of taking a bird out on a harness when hawks have been in the area?

 

[veimar]

We have tons of hawks (usually so high up in the sky that only my birds can see them, LOL) and I never had any problems with taking my birds out in a harness for long hikes in the forest. I cannot really imagine a hawk hit a bird sitting on your hand or shoulder. In our area they never approach people closer than about 30 feet. They have plenty of food in summer and won't need to attack your bird IMHO.

 

[Birdman666]

Here's my take on this, and I lived in NorCal where hawks were definitely a HUGE THREAT...

I still took mine out daily, and they were recalled, not harnessed. AND AT THE TIME I HAD 11 BIRDS TO LOOK AFTER.

During breeding season, when they had chicks to feed, they got very aggressive. My neighbor about four doors down had a little yip yip dog (miniature doberman) a hawk took it right out of her back yard...

Flew several hundred feet up, then dropped it on it's head on the pavement. Then went back and picked up the dead dog and carried it off...

The Hawks in the parks were accustomed to people, and had lost their fear of them. They would sit in a tree near the playground. It didn't phase them.

Generally speaking, they didn't go after anyone or anything...

BUT...

I had a friend who had a greenwing macaw snatched right off his shoulder while hiking in a park in Berkeley. Hawk came in from above and behind, took the GW by the neck and flew off with it. Bird died instantly. No one saw it coming...

So, IT CAN happen, but it is thankfully, rare.

I wouldn't deprive your bird of walks in the wood. They love that. But when predators are around, or likely to be around, he'd be on my arm close to my body, and not my shoulder. Even a brazen hawk is unlikely to go after him in that position.

And that is especially true during nesting season!!!

 

[Anansi]

Oh, it can happen. It's not common, but it does happen. Someone in my area had his African Gray snatched from him, harness and all, by a hawk. His gray passed on the operating table.

There's also a video of a hawk going after a parrot in a trainer's arms right in the middle of a bird show! I'll see if I can find it.

If you do it, make sure to be as alert as possible. Keep your eyes to the sky. Their vision is a lot better than yours, so they might spot you and your fid from way up and go into a fast dive. At that speed, they can be on you before you know it.

 

[Flboy]

Central Florida, right outside Chief's Bird Cabin, a BCC was snatched off a woman's shoulder

 

[GreatBlue320]

Wow I am so stunned that hawks can be that aggressive around people. I feel for those parronts whose precious birdies were taken right from them - I can't imagine how awful that must have been for them.

Thank you all for your input. If and when I get a new fid and he/she is harness trained, I will be sure to be very diligent when taking it out on a harness!

 

[Birdman666]

Somewhere in my garage I have a skydiving helmet with a big dent in it.

We had a sharp shinned hawk at the DZ in Skydance who had a nest somewhere out in our alternate landing field. I got a long spot, and had to land in the alternate field.

The hawk did not appreciate me buzzing his nest. The second I landed he nailed me in a full on speed dive right upside my head...

I WAS LUCKY! I STILL HAD MY HELMET ON...

A few days later someone wasn't so lucky. That person got a torn parachute canopy, and after a crash landing, ended up getting hit in the shoulder area, with some pretty bad gashes from the Hawk's talons...

HE WASN'T PLAYING!

 

[Anansi]

Found it! The zookeeper in this segment was most impressive. If not for her quick reflexes and protective instinct, that poor cockatoo wouldn't have had a chance.

[ame="https://youtu.be/ikDpYwDKQ_A"]https://youtu.be/ikDpYwDKQ_A[/ame]

 

[Scott]

My environment in SoCal is loaded with several species of raptors. Consequently, I am unwilling to accept the risk regardless of the beneficial tradeoff of the great outdoors. I could never forgive myself should one of my pets get snatched and repurposed into chick-feed.

 

[Anansi]

My environment in SoCal is loaded with several species of raptors. Consequently, I am unwilling to accept the risk regardless of the beneficial tradeoff of the great outdoors. I could never forgive myself should one of my pets get snatched and repurposed into chick-feed.

I hear you. There was a time when I was considering training Bixby in freeflight, but that went out the window right quick after hearing the story about that African Gray in my area and then subsequently noticing all of the raptors flying about.

In fact, I even gave up on the thought of taking my ekkies out to the parks around here. Or, at least in harnesses, anyway. So the only place I'll try it is in my backyard, as trees surround it on every side... thus limiting avenues of approach. In addition, I'd only take them out whenever I had someone else out there with me who I could trust to help me keep an eye out for any hungry raptors.

Of course, all of this is embarrassingly hypothetical as the harness training is going rather slowly with Lady Maya, and I haven't yet begun with Jolly. Sigh. But one day, alas.

 

[Doublete]

That poor cockatoo must've been terrified. His handler did a great job. I would imagine she had to visit the er after that.

 

[Anansi]

Quite possibly, depending on what those talons latched onto. But there's no doubt in my mind she saved that 'too. Great job indeed.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

That's precisely why I'll be getting a Pak-O-Bird, soon.

I have 2 harnesses, but every time my fids wear their harnesses, it's impossible to relax because we have loads of raptors here as well.

Plus, the guilt over having a pet die in such a horrific manner would be crushing.

 

[Delfin]

I read a story about a person who hires the local Basketball centre and lets his birds fly around inside.

 

[GreatBlue320]

I had "dreams" of harness training my bird, taking it for walks on my street and in the park, recall training in our backyard, and just hanging out on our patio enjoying the fresh air.

Now I realize that every single one of those activities would have been extremely dangerous given we have hawks around us!!!

I am disappointed but very glad to be informed. Thank you everyone for your input!

 

[Birdman666]

I had "dreams" of harness training my bird, taking it for walks on my street and in the park, recall training in our backyard, and just hanging out on our patio enjoying the fresh air.

Now I realize that every single one of those activities would have been extremely dangerous given we have hawks around us!!!

I am disappointed but very glad to be informed. Thank you everyone for your input!

I had hawks all over the place too. You just have to be aware of the environment. You can still do it... I wouldn't deny a bird outside time. It just needs to be supervised outside time. The risk of a hawk coming in close to a person is pretty remote. It does still exist..

 

[Birdman666]

That poor cockatoo must've been terrified. His handler did a great job. I would imagine she had to visit the er after that.

Well, about that...

ONE of the handler's did a great job. The other one? Not so much....

That particular hawk was a hawk from the same bird show. He's free flighted. They released him for the next "act" too soon...

He normally gets fed for doing his free flight thing...

And, oh look, looks like the trainers are serving cockatoo today!

A captive hawk is still a hawk. And he's been trained to take "food" from a trainer's hand.

 

[GreatBlue320]

I was speaking to my avian vet today about the possibility of getting a new bird (she took care of my Taylor) and I mentioned that I had recently discovered that hawks are quite aggressive when it comes to companion birds. She told me two stories that happened in my town: One man had a sun conure ripped right from his shoulder. Another woman was gardening in her yard with her blue and gold perched on a tree stump - the hawk swooped down and took the B&G!

At this point, I'm completely terrified of taking a bird out. I had such "bad luck" with Taylor getting PDD that I feel as though it would be just my luck that a hawk would take my precious birdie from me in my own backyard. Sadly, this information is making me rethink everything. But, I am glad to be "in-the-know"!

Birdman - Would you mind sharing your approach to taking your birds outside in an area that is known to have hawks around? Is there something specific I should watch for?

 

[Birdman666]

If hawks show up, you get out of there. Normally they are readily visible.

If you're holding him, he's off the shoulder and on your arm close to your body.

If he's in a tree, you call him down to you, and same deal.

If he's harnessed, he won't be far from you...

What you DON'T DO is just leave them out there unsupervised, or a long way off, like the B&G you mentioned. Not close enough to intervene in time.

Another option would be something like a nice outdoor flight. PREFERABLY SOMETHING WITH A ROOF.

 

[Taw5106]

We have a resident hawk that sits on power lines. If we see him we definitely don't go out with our parrots on a harness or not.. Travel cage, yes. But I have gotten into a habit of walking out the front door and looking up to see what is in the sky. That is not a guarantee, and I figure my babies look like Skittles, very yummy. I haven't let them out for long periods of time but I'm working towards that. My plan, screen in our patio so they can go out and enjoy some sunshine. I am always looking up for hawks and I have fears of them just appearing. They are stealthy like that.