How to Scare Away Hawks

Scare hawks away with the sound of other hawks.

If you have small animals that like to roam your backyard but hawks are a concern, take a sigh of relief: Basic safety precautions will ensure that hawks steer clear of your pets and livestock. To scare the large raptors away, consider recording the sound of an owl or another raptor and playing it over a speaker whenever you see a hawk circling.

Instructions

1. Find a digital soundtrack of a hawk or large owl's call on the Internet and download it to a digital music playing device or, if necessary, to a cassette tape.

2. Play the hawk or owl call repeatedly over a speaker -- a stereo that has a line-in jack (or cassette player) and a speaker you can place near a window will suffice, or you can rig a permanent system with a speaker and some hardware you can find at at audio parts store -- whenever you spot a hawk flying close to your home. This may scare the hawk away, as the sound of another large raptor could mean the hawk is imposing on another's territory. The hawk may not want to put up a fight for food and should find another place to search for it.

3. Play any other loud music when a hawk is flying close by to scare it away. This will let the hawk know there is a living presence nearby.

4. Repeatedly call out loudly at the hawk, if it is close enough, with a loud, short, repeated yell to scare it off.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep small animals in sight, preferably on a leash, when hawks are around.

• Never kill a hawk, as many have protected or endangered status.

References

• Skidmore College: Buteo Jamaicensis (Red-Tailed Hawk)

Resources

• eNature.com: Bird Audio