A red-tailed hawk found in a Virginia backyard was so full of chickens that it could not fly, according to The Cool Down. Wildlife rescuers who responded to the homeowner’s missing-bird reports found the hawk and realized the “queen was picking off the buffet of easy prey set out before her,” a rescuer told the outlet.
I saw the report from the wildlife rescue group that handled the case. The hawk had eaten enough chickens that it had become grounded, a condition rescuers described as “too fat to fly.” The bird was captured and taken to a rehabilitation center where it could safely digest its meal and return to a normal weight.
What this means for Virginia homeowners
Backyard chicken flocks in Virginia are a common target for hawks and other birds of prey. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources notes that hawks are protected under federal law, so homeowners cannot trap or harm them. The only legal options are non-lethal deterrents such as covered runs, netting, or motion-activated sprinklers.
If a hawk does take up residence near your coop, the best response is to secure your birds and wait. Once the easy food source is gone, the hawk will move on. A grounded hawk like this one is rare; most hawks are extremely agile fliers and will flee at the first sign of a human. The rescued bird in this case was simply too full to escape.
The notice is published by The Cool Down at www.thecooldown.com.
