Falcons typically raise one clutch yearly, although in rare circumstances more than one clutch may be attempted. If a first clutch is lost soon after laying, another clutch will be attempted after about 2 weeks. Peregrine falcons breed between March and May, depending on latitude.

The eastern population plunged from an estimated 350 active nest sites in the 1930’s and 1940’s to no active breeding birds from 1964 to 1975 [3]. Peregrine falcons in the Great Plains states east of the Rocky Mountains and south of U.S. and Canadian boreal forests were also essentially extirpated [1].

Least Concern (Population stable)

Add a Black Chicken to the Flock Incorporating a black chicken into the flock will keep hawks away.

But will a fake owl keep hawks away for a long time? The answer is yes, but only if you make an effort to move it around every few days. You can’t just leave it in one place forever and expect it to repel hawks. These birds are smart and will know the owl’s fake if it just stays put.

Hawks are predatory birds that hunt during the day when chickens are running around, scratching and pecking as they forage for seeds, insects and worms. With its keen eyesight, a hungry hawk can perch high in a tree where your chickens may not even know it’s there until it swoops down to strike.

If a hawk eats a bird in place, it typically eats the breast, cleanly plucking the feathers. Feathers with flesh clinging to their ends may indicate that a hawk did not kill the bird but instead scavenged on a bird that died of some other cause.

Photo by Matt Cuda via Birdshare. Although most small dogs are too heavy for a hawk or owl to actually carry, it’s still possible for large raptors to attack and kill them. A five-pound dog is no bigger than a large rabbit—a hawk might easily attack and carry it away.