If so what can I do
Possible Hawk?
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Guest
I noticed the martins fighting with a bird today. It looks like a martin with a white belly but longer wing spand. I'm not sure if it's a hawk. Would anyone know if this sounds like a small hawk
If so what can I do
If so what can I do
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey,
I doubt the bird is a hawk. You do have both Cooper?s and sharp-shinned hawks nesting in your area but they don?t have a pure white belly. The immature birds of both these hawks have a whitish belly with brown streaks. These hawks have short rounded wings and are larger than martins.
Merlins are falcons and will attack martins. These are small raptors but still larger than martins and do have long pointed wings. However, they don?t have white bellies.
Tree swallows are smaller than martins but do have a white belly and long pointed wings. Tree swallows will compete with martins for nest sites. Tree swallows do nest in your area. Perhaps you are seeing a tree swallow.
Is this bird larger than the martins? Are the martins and this bird engaged in physical fighting? Martins will mob raptors but they don?t actually physically strike. Martins and tree swallows may grapple in physical combat.
If the bird is a tree swallow, the martins, if established at your site, can successfully defend themselves and their territory. Un-established martins that are just investigating a new colony can be driven away by tree swallows that are nesting in the housing. So if your martins are nesting and have established territory, you don?t have to worry about a tree swallow, though you may see some interactions between both species.
Another bird that will sometimes fight with martins is the kingbird. This bird will chase martins through the sky and around the colony, but does not compete for nesting sites with them. The kingbird has a whitish belly, but short rounded wings. The kingbird also has a white band on the tip of its tail. The kingbird is about the same size as a martin. The kingbird will not harm the martins, but can harass them in flight.
If you are trying to attract martins for the first time, then you need to keep your housing free of other birds, including tree swallows. Tree swallows are feisty little birds and great to have around. They will nest in single unit boxes such as bluebird houses. But you need to ensure the swallows don?t take over your martin housing first. It maybe too late to attract breeding martins and even tree swallows this season in your area, but you can plan for next year. The Forum Archives has information about tree swallows and martins and a possible solution to reduce inter-specific competition between these highly desirable birds.
Good luck.
Steve
I doubt the bird is a hawk. You do have both Cooper?s and sharp-shinned hawks nesting in your area but they don?t have a pure white belly. The immature birds of both these hawks have a whitish belly with brown streaks. These hawks have short rounded wings and are larger than martins.
Merlins are falcons and will attack martins. These are small raptors but still larger than martins and do have long pointed wings. However, they don?t have white bellies.
Tree swallows are smaller than martins but do have a white belly and long pointed wings. Tree swallows will compete with martins for nest sites. Tree swallows do nest in your area. Perhaps you are seeing a tree swallow.
Is this bird larger than the martins? Are the martins and this bird engaged in physical fighting? Martins will mob raptors but they don?t actually physically strike. Martins and tree swallows may grapple in physical combat.
If the bird is a tree swallow, the martins, if established at your site, can successfully defend themselves and their territory. Un-established martins that are just investigating a new colony can be driven away by tree swallows that are nesting in the housing. So if your martins are nesting and have established territory, you don?t have to worry about a tree swallow, though you may see some interactions between both species.
Another bird that will sometimes fight with martins is the kingbird. This bird will chase martins through the sky and around the colony, but does not compete for nesting sites with them. The kingbird has a whitish belly, but short rounded wings. The kingbird also has a white band on the tip of its tail. The kingbird is about the same size as a martin. The kingbird will not harm the martins, but can harass them in flight.
If you are trying to attract martins for the first time, then you need to keep your housing free of other birds, including tree swallows. Tree swallows are feisty little birds and great to have around. They will nest in single unit boxes such as bluebird houses. But you need to ensure the swallows don?t take over your martin housing first. It maybe too late to attract breeding martins and even tree swallows this season in your area, but you can plan for next year. The Forum Archives has information about tree swallows and martins and a possible solution to reduce inter-specific competition between these highly desirable birds.
Good luck.
Steve