Attracting birds of prey (1 Viewer)

[chuckh]

There are is a pair of of red-tailed hawks in an area near my home. I plan to set up a blind to get some photos.
Here's my question: How do I attract the birds so I can get a closer shot? Someone on another forum suggested roadkill and that may lead to ethical questions.
What I was thinking of doing was making a large pile of sunflower seeds in the middle of the field close enough to the hide to attract rodents which in turn should attract hawks and other birds of prey.
What are your thoughts on this?
Thx

 

[wolfbirder]

Difficult to attract raptors on a short term basis. Most are fairly wide ranging and they have to build up a repertoire, even then no guarantees.

 

[Montereyman]

I get mostly sharp-shinned hawks going after songbird on my feeders. These hawks will chase birds into the bushes to get to them.

The red-shouldered hawks with fly by and try to scare the birds into flying into the side of my house where they are stunned and while laying on the ground the hawk will make a second pass and grab them. I added 2x2 orchard netting to prevent this and it has been 90% effective.

There are favorite trees where they will land with prey to eat it in peace and finding these feeding spots is your best bet for photographing them.

 

[Amanda10]

Honestly, the sunflower seed idea might work, but it’s a bit hit-or-miss. Rodents may come, but there’s no guarantee hawks will hunt them nearby. A betyer option could be studying their natural behavjior and finding where they usually hunt. Sometimes a well-placed blind and patience are all you need.About roadkill – yeah, it’s an ethical debate for sure, but many people do use it effectively. If you can handled it safely and legally, yuup it might work beter than seeds, Just be mindfull of attracting other animals instead.

 

[jurek]

The common method of photographers is to lay chicken meat for some time, and when the hawks start visiting, put a roadkill so the hawks will be photographed in 'natural' surroundings.

Mind you, you may need some tricks to prevent local crows, gulls, foxes and whatever from eating all the chicken. Attracting rodents is a terrible idea - you will have a rat problem but hawks are not likely to come to a given place. Although some wild mice are cute and good photo subjects in themselves.

While it is funny how many tricks are used in 'wild' photography, there is nothing unnatural in the above approach. No different from feeding smaller wild birds. And starvation in winter is a major source of mortality of raptors.

 

[chuckh]

Honestly, the sunflower seed idea might work, but it’s a bit hit-or-miss. Rodents may come, but there’s no guarantee hawks will hunt them nearby. A betyer option could be studying their natural behavjior and finding where they usually hunt. Sometimes a well-placed blind and patience are all you need.About roadkill – yeah, it’s an ethical debate for sure, but many people do use it effectively. If you can handled it safely and legally, yuup it might work beter than seeds, Just be mindfull of attracting other animals instead.

Thank you Amanda. Seems like roadkill is the best option. I plan to set up a blind in the area I have seen them hunt. Now I have to find some roadkill.

 

[chuckh]

The common method of photographers is to lay chicken meat for some time, and when the hawks start visiting, put a roadkill so the hawks will be photographed in 'natural' surroundings.

Mind you, you may need some tricks to prevent local crows, gulls, foxes and whatever from eating all the chicken. Attracting rodents is a terrible idea - you will have a rat problem but hawks are not likely to come to a given place. Although some wild mice are cute and good photo subjects in themselves.

While it is funny how many tricks are used in 'wild' photography, there is nothing unnatural in the above approach. No different from feeding smaller wild birds. And starvation in winter is a major source of mortality of raptors.

Thanks jurek, good advice. I will try the chicken thing and hopefully I will find a roadkill.

 

[Montereyman]

Baiting is highly unethical for photographing animals of any kind. If you use ebird.org you can find where raptors are being sighted and when. No needed to have them in your yard.

I did put up a barn owl box 15 above the ground and after 2 years a breeding pair made use of it. I was not used last year despite a couple of owls visiting it. We also have great horned owls and thes kill most other owls and so not a welcome arrival.

Where I live there are 28 birds of prey but one has to go when and where they have been spotted by birders.