# Would you kill a hawk if you needed to?



## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

I had a fairly random thought, say if you took your cockatiel / bird to the park and it was getting attacked by a hawk, would you try and kill the hawk through what ever possible method?

Also, say you saw a hawk attacking another (wild) bird on ground level, would you intervene or let nature take it's toll?

I personally would kill a hawk if I ever encountered this unlikely scenario, I'd also intervene to save a smaller species of birds from getting attacked.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

My bird? Don't know what I'd kill it with, so probably not. But it really depends on the circumstance. Perhaps I would run over and swat the hawk away (I've handled raptors before) doubt I could kill it though.
A wild bird, well, not to sound heartless, but I didn't grow attached to a random wild bird, so I would let the hawk eat. It's got to eat. But, my cockatiel is like my best friend, and I would do anything for him  However, if it wasn't a swift, clean kill, I'd chase the hawk off from mauling the poor thing.

(But on a side note, I don't ever let Beaker go to where a bird of prey could get him. Always by my side )


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

xNx said:


> I had a fairly random thought, say if you took your cockatiel / bird to the park and it was getting attacked by a hawk, would you try and kill the hawk through what ever possible method?
> 
> Also, say you saw a hawk attacking another (wild) bird on ground level, would you intervene or let nature take it's toll?
> 
> I personally would kill a hawk if I ever encountered this unlikely scenario, I'd also intervene to save a smaller species of birds from getting attacked.


I would not as most British raptors ( birds of prey ) are protected species here in the UK 

there are only two species of Hawk here in the uk anyway that is the Gos Hawk and sparrow hawk both protected 

http://www.thefalconrycentre.co.uk/artfocus.php?id=42

tbh the chances of any bird of prey attacking where there are people around in a park is very unlikely anyway


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

your chances of successfully killing a hawk are pretty jolly slim.

and no, if a hawk was attacking me and my cockatiel i would run, but i wouldn't kill another bird.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I'd try to scare it away but no I wouldn't kill it under any circumstances. A lot of birds are endangered here and since I can't tell which ones are and which ones aren't, I wouldn't risk it. The hawk is only doing what comes natural to it and if it were that close to my tiel, I'm obviously doing something wrong. I love my babies, but that hawk doesn't understand that.


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

xNx said:


> I had a fairly random thought, say if you took your cockatiel / bird to the park and it was getting attacked by a hawk, would you try and kill the hawk through what ever possible method?
> 
> Also, say you saw a hawk attacking another (wild) bird on ground level, would you intervene or let nature take it's toll?
> 
> I personally would kill a hawk if I ever encountered this unlikely scenario, I'd also intervene to save a smaller species of birds from getting attacked.


Very interesting question---it's one of those age-old dilemmas that have baffled humans since the dawn of time! It's the famous "if you see a spider about to kill an insect in it's web, would you save the insect and deprive the spider of its food" dilemma. 

Personally, I agree with what you said. If a hawk attacks my Sunny, as much as I'm against killing anything that has life, I would kill the hawk and repent for this sin later.  We are all bias on the side of our loved ones and yes, it may not be fair, but my love for Sunny would push me to make that decision. It's one of those dilemmas where you will still be "wrong" no matter what you do. >.<

I think a healthy way of looking at it is that we are all imperfect beings living in an imperfect world so nothing we ever do can be "perfect". All we can do is try our BEST to do what we feel is right in every moment, hoping that our decisions would create the most desirable outcomes. However, we must understand that in the end we cannot really control any outcomes. We can only hope for the best, and if it turned out that our decision was "wrong", we can only try to learn the lesson so we can make a better decision next time!


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

No reason to kill it... If the hawk was ignoring the fact that I was there, I would grab him probably at the base of the neck and try to pull him away from Rocko. Maybe I would hit him if I had to. Once I had a hold on him, I'd toss him in the air and hope he flies away. I'd grab Rocko and run in the time it would take the hawk to fly back. But kill one? God no. I could never kill anything if I didn't have to.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It's illegal to kill hawks and other raptors in the US. If you do it, the feds will want to have a little talk with you.


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## flippityjib (Dec 13, 2012)

If a hawk was trying to kill any of my pets I would protect them, not intentionally trying to kill but I wouldn't be gentle about it either.


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

No way! They are also beautiful and majestic. 
I would try and scare it away. But then, I wouldn't be around a hawk if I had Skiddles with me. 
Thats just me. 

PS: What a random thread. LOL!


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

i know! lol :rofl:


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

no way, no how for me. it's illegal here in Canada too, but even if it wasnt i would not kill an animal for doing something completely natural. hawks are predators, smaller birds, smaller mammals, rodents, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and insects are their prey. 

that's how it is, and the hawk needs to eat. so, sadly no, i do not intervene if a hawk has a smaller bird. i'd be unable to save it anyways and in trying to get it to somewhere to put it out of its misery would only prolong its suffering. it's quicker and kinder to let the hawk have it. plus, the hawk would only hunt another to eat anyways, so by even attempting to save a caught bird, you are unintentionally harming TWO birds. hawks evolved to be meat eaters. you cant just tell them to be vegetarians 

my babies? i'd fend off the hawk, but would not kill or harm it. 

now if it were munch... i'd be more concerned for the hawk and would have to save it 

(totally kidding about that last part lol)


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Casey that hawk would think twice after messing with Munch!!!


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

MeanneyFids said:


> hawks are predators, smaller birds, smaller mammals, rodents, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and insects are their prey.
> 
> that's how it is, and the hawk needs to eat. so, sadly no, i do not intervene if a hawk has a smaller bird.


so true. hawks are just doing what they're programmed to do.


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## Ghosth (Jun 25, 2012)

You can't blame a hawk for being a hawk any more than you can blame a cat for being a cat. If you have a bird being chased by anything, blame yourself.

Everything has a right to live, some things are going to eat other things. This is a fact of life. In fact it is a part of the circle of life. 

To say you'd kill a hawk to save a tiel is putting a value judgement on life. Not a good road to walk, you won't like where it will end up leading you.

All life should be precious, all life has value, everything wants to live, reproduce, and carry on.


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

Well, after a good nights sleep my views have changed a little. I think what triggered this thought was this video:

(Graphic Warning... For bird lovers.. ) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMP_4aBEhvw

I think those people intentionally put the crow to harm


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

OMG how cruel  

There are some sick people out there


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> You can't blame a hawk for being a hawk any more than you can blame a cat for being a cat. If you have a bird being chased by anything, blame yourself.


Wonderfully said! I have a husky and they have an extremely high prey drive so I don't let her anywhere near my birds. If she was to ever get ahold of one, that would be MY fault not her's. She would only be doing what is natural and you can't blame an animal for that.

But yes people can be very cruel.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I see Cooper's Hawks in my back yard almost every day, and they do prey on the smaller birds that come into the yard to get food and water. I don't intervene in that, although I planted some trees and bushes to help give the smaller birds more cover and protection. For a while I had one of those smart hawks that intentionally chases birds toward the house windows because they're easier to catch that way. When a hawk chases a Gambel's quail into the window, it sounds like someone is firing cannonballs at the house.

I'm aware of the problem so it's my job to keep my pet birds safe from the hawks. I don't have an outdoor aviary even though I'd really like to have one (waaaah!!). When I take the tiels out for some sunshine, they're securely locked in a cage (harnesses aren't safe enough) and I stay with them. My presence is enough to keep the hawks away, but if one ever tried to attack the cage in spite of my presence I'd fight it off.


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## flippityjib (Dec 13, 2012)

I think hawks and all wild birds have a right to be here but not spiders....or sharks. No way. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

flippityjib said:


> I think hawks and all wild birds have a right to be here but not spiders....or sharks. No way.
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


you see I feel the same way except for seagulls, I hate them with a passion they are huge loud and scary looking close up and they attack anything that moves sadly here in the uk they are another protected species for the life of me I don't have a clue why as they are everywhere


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> or sharks. No way.


If I saw a shark in the back yard I'd call animal control instead of trying to kill it myself lol.


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

hysteriauk said:


> you see I feel the same way except for seagulls, I hate them with a passion they are huge loud and scary looking close up and they attack anything that moves sadly here in the uk they are another protected species for the life of me I don't have a clue why as they are everywhere


I've seen seagulls attacking and eating some strange stuff. They seem to like pigeon brains, i've seen that a fair few times. Here in Blackpool they are HUUUUGE too!


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

Loopy Lou said:


> I've seen seagulls attacking and eating some strange stuff. They seem to like pigeon brains, i've seen that a fair few times. Here in Blackpool they are HUUUUGE too!


I can't stand seagulls, they always find a way to fly across your car windscreen when you're doing 30mph +, you have to slow down as both the seagull and you would probably die if it went through the windcreen -_-

The seagulls also scare my Cockatiel, my Cockatiel likes to 'flock call' the seagulls but when it sees one close to the window it gets terrified :frown:


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

Loopy Lou said:


> I've seen seagulls attacking and eating some strange stuff. They seem to like pigeon brains, i've seen that a fair few times. Here in Blackpool they are HUUUUGE too!


before my folks moved to Ireland, the seagulls around here used to dive bomb our cats and dogs , the worse thing tho was waking up in the morning having a massive evil looking gull tapping on the window with it's beak used to scare me silly lolz


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## Ghosth (Jun 25, 2012)

Sharks are just another predator, top of the food chain. No different than a hawk except in the medium it flys through is water vs air really. 

As to seagulls, ever watched the movie "finding Nemo?" That pretty much nailed all seagulls everywhere. "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine"
"Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine""Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine""Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine" "Mine" "mine"

I don't suppose too many people have read Jonathon Livingston Seagull?
I came across it early in my life and it gave me a bit more insight into the seagull. 

Thing that bugs me is a Seagull has the wing to ride thermals, to hunt as the hawks hunt, to float, drift, slide, then attack prey. But landfills and beaches are easier so that is where you find them. Anywhere the food is in large quantity's with minimum effort required. 

Seagulls are cool, but they have no soul, no depth to them. Individuals perhaps, but as a whole, no. They go for the quickest easiest meal every time. Effecient in their way, and they can be a lifesaver if you have grasshoppers turn into a locust swarm. 

I've suspected for some time that fashion models get reborn as seagulls. It would explain why there are so many of them.


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