Birds of prey

[Roxie]

At what size would birds of prey stop being a threat to tortoises? I have hawks in my area and wonder if they would bother a tortoise free roaming in the yard. When I had my little guy, and for my box turtle, they always stay in an enclosure with a wire lid and only free roam the yard with direct supervision. I imagine a larger Sulcata would need less babysitting. I also imagine I am not the only one with hawks in their neighborhood.

 

[african cake queen]

hi, lots of hawks here in ct. they would like a pancake breakfast , im sure.crows pretty bad here too. i dont trust them. keep your eyes open . 'lol' lindy

 

[dbsneed69]

Hawks, like most birds of prey, can only lift about half their weight. I've actually seen a hawk swoop down, grab a box turtle, fly up a couple of hundred feet and drop it to break the shell. Most hawk species only weigh about 4-6 pounds. I don't know if this helps but it's all I've got.

Lindy makes a good point about the crows. I don't think they would kill a turtle or tort but they could really stress them. Like she said, just keep a watchful eye.

 

[Tom]

I live out in the country with lots of hawks. I've never had a single problem with them for any size tortoise. I leave my babies in uncovered pens once they are around 3-4", BUT I am always close by and moving around. I would not leave them outside and leave the area. It also depends on where you are. The hawks in my area are "programmed" to hunt for small mammals primarily. I don't think they recognize my torts as a food source. This might be very different in other parts of the country. I understand Florida has some very predatory birds...

 

[african cake queen]

the hawks & other birds of pray have super quick , blink of the eye strike kill. if they dont catch it ,its dead. have a seen a hawk come back a 2nd time after killing another bird, and missed grabing it. just left the dead bird there. that happened in front of me. heard they only strike once at prey. who knows? i just happen be be at the right place at the right time. one time i pulled my car over to see a hawk on the ground on the side of the road. i didnt want it to get hit by a car. so, i clapped my hands loud and he came after me for a short distanced. been chased by turkeys here, dogs, but never a hawk. i was scared. hawk had make to to a limb on a tree, and later that day he was gone. i bet he was dive bombing a bird eating the gravel on the side of the road and got stunned some how. lindy

 

[Tom]

Lindy, you are cracking me up. What are you talking about? You climbed a tree to get AWAY from a BIRD???

 

[african cake queen]

Lindy, you are cracking me up. What are you talking about? You climbed a tree to get AWAY from a BIRD???

;lol; got out of my car and it chased me! ,my neighbors were laughing their butts off , watching me running down a main road with the bird hot and mad after me!

 

[Roxie]

Around nesting season, there is always some poor fellow or lady on the news who ends up with a hawk nesting near their garage. They are protected and it costs plenty to get a nest moved. So they man themselves with umbrellas and such to get to their cars in their driveway, lol. We have a pair that nest in the woods behind our house. My iguana's enclosure stays on the back porch, but rolls into the yard for sun. One day a hawk landed on the cage like he was going to grab my poor ig! Another day I had the tort out walking about and looked up behind me to see a hawk silently watching from a pine tree. I also hear them hunting just about every morning. I love the hawks, but wouldn't want to lose a pet to one! I also can't put a lid on my entire yard.

 

[zesty_17]

I had a pair of red-tailed hawks living in my yard for about 2 years, they nested every year, and I always had a cover on my turtles. The hawks would eye them every time i brought them out, so i always made sure to be present during outside time, and kept the lids secure. Even if they are too big to fly away with, there are other predators here to worry about...raccoons, opossums, feral domestics(cats/dogs), etc...

 

[yagyujubei]

I wouldn't worry as much about hawks, as gulls and crows.

 

[DesertGrandma]

Most people say 5-6 inches. I think it depends on your area and what kind of protection you have for them.

 

[african cake queen]

oh , just wait ,got some real funny crow pics. at mcdonalds on monday.will post them today after my brother gets them off my camera.just a little hint......we thought the crows were eating cheese puffs. they were not cheese puffs! might as well been super glue.'lol' see you soon with the pictures! lindy

 

[Roxie]

Well, when they are small they can have an enclosure and then outdoor time. But when you get a 25lb tort, surely they need run of the yard. If people are letting their torts out during the day (locking them up at night), then the birds and other critters must not be a pest at some point. Don't people go to work and leave their torts out? I'm a stay at home mom and part time teacher. I'm home a lot, but gone in and out, too.