Controlling predatory birds

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Radio interview source: Gail Garber, executive director, Hawks Aloft

We once had an owl grab up a stray cat right outside our window and fly away with it. We have hawks that fly around the pasture looking for mice, but that's OK with us. However, it's not OK to see them gobbling up prized poultry or songbirds at the feeder.

Gail Garber is the executive director of an organization called Hawks Aloft, and says songbirds are part of a predatory bird's diet. We may not like it, but it's a necessary part of the life cycle.

"It's important to remember that raptors have a role in the environment and they tend to cull out the birds that are old, or very young, or sick or weak in some way, or just have poor responses," Garber says. "And they actually help keep prey populations healthy by controlling those types of birds."

Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks are the most likely to snatch a bird at the feeder. There really isn't an easy fix for that. However, you could stop filling the feeders for about a week and the hawks might go somewhere else.